Controversy has erupted between a prominent Durga Puja organising committee in Kolkata and the city police, with the organizers alleging harassment over their puja theme of Operation Sindoor and the police citing serious public safety concerns based on last year’s experience.
BJP leader Sajal Ghosh, one of the organisers of the Santosh Mitra Square Sarbojonin Durgatsav, said on Wednesday that the Muchipara police station sent a two-page letter to the club’s secretary after they announced Operation Sindoor as this year’s puja theme.
“We did not put up any advertisement or billboard regarding our theme. It was only a Facebook post on Sunday, and we received a two-page letter on Monday. This is nothing but a disturbance,” Ghosh alleged.
He questioned whether other puja organizers in West Bengal had received similar notices, suggesting that Santosh Mitra Square was being singled out. “It is very unfortunate. I don’t think any other big puja has got this notice. Those who have an allergy to the term ‘sindoor’ are the ones sending this notice,” he said.
TMC leader Debangshu Bhattacharya defended the police action, stressing the importance of preventive measures to ensure public safety. “If the police feel there is a possibility of an incident and take preventive action, that too becomes political these days. We saw how people lost their lives at the Kumbh due to a lack of crowd management. We do not want a repeat of what happened during the Kumbh or the RCB celebration,” Bhattacharya said.
He added, “After Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came to power, UNESCO recognised Durga Puja. Fortunately, there has been no major incident here despite large-scale celebrations. If the club is being called for a discussion to improve crowd management, it should cooperate instead of criticising.”
The letter from Muchipara Police Station to the Santosh Mitra Square Sarbojanin Durgatsav committee, a copy of which is with The Indian Express, outlines specific directives to ensure public safety during the 2025 puja celebrations.
It states, “During last year’s celebrations, a massive influx of devotees gathered at the venue. Due to non-compliance with the issued guidelines, public safety was compromised. A near-stampede situation arose, endangering lives.” It also mentions that a case had been registered under various sections including 221 (obstructing public servant), 223 (disobedience to order), 324 (6) (mischief), and 61 (2) (criminal conspiracy).
The puja organisers have been asked to submit a detailed mitigation plan covering some directives, and to arrange a meeting with police officials by June 25.
These directives include maintaining a proper passage inside the pandal for crowd movement, banning all light and sound shows, laser displays, or similar events inside or outside the pandal, and prohibiting stalls and hawkers near the exit gate. The exit gate must also be wider than the entry gate.
Additional safety measures include displaying clear directional signage from BOI More to the pandal, installing a minimum of six CCTV cameras with recording capabilities and a monitoring screen at the Police Control Room, keeping the KMC-adjacent gate inside Santosh Mitra Square open, and deploying at least 250 volunteers during peak hours and 100 during off-peak hours.
Other directives include setting up strong barricading from the pandal to BOI More, installing a public address system for police announcements, banning Ferris wheels or amusement rides inside the Mela premises, sharing the puja theme in advance with police for planning, banning any overhead structures between BOI More and the park entrance, and constructing a separate VIP channel between BOI More and the pandal.