Guwahati: At a rally in Serampore in West Bengal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah slammed the state government while seeking support for his party in the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.
During his speech, Home Minister Shah accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of opposing the Ram Mandir, restricting Durga Puja immersions, and favoring Muslim workers by granting them holidays during Ramzan while not providing holidays for Durga Puja.
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At around the 18:14 timestamp, Shah could be heard saying, “Mamata didi, we don’t have a problem with that, give holidays. But we want an answer as to why you don’t grant holidays during our Durga Puja. Why this discrimination?”
However, these claims are incorrect. The official holiday list on the West Bengal government’s website confirms several holidays during the Durga Puja festival. A search for “west bengal holiday list” on Google by The Quint led to a compiled list on the state government’s Personnel & Administrative Reforms Department website, showing multiple holidays under the Negotiable Instrument Act for Durga Puja in 2024.
Similar holidays were provided in 2023 and 2022.
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Regarding Shah’s claim about Durga Puja immersion restrictions, an NDTV report mentioned that in 2017, the West Bengal government had banned Durga Puja processions from carrying out immersions on the day of Muharram to prevent communal clashes.
This restriction was later overturned by the high court, and the government then required police permission for immersion in Muharram.
Team WebQoof has reached out to Shah’s office for clarification on his statements and to identify the source of his information. This report will be updated upon receiving a response.
In conclusion, Home Minister Amit Shah’s statements about the West Bengal government not granting holidays during Durga Puja are false.
This story is republished from The Quint as part of the Shakti Collective. Read the original story here.