Jagannath Temple Opening: Mamata Banerjee Faces BJP Criticism

Kolkata: West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took part in a special fire ceremony called a “mahayajna” on Tuesday to celebrate the opening of a new Jagannath Temple in the East Midnapore district. This temple is a replica of the famous 12th-century temple in Puri, and it’s expected to attract tourists to Digha, a popular beach spot about 200 kilometers from Kolkata. Banerjee mentioned that many priests from different temples joined in the ceremony, including those from the Jagannath Temple in Puri and the ISKCON temple.

The new temple will officially open on April 30, coinciding with the auspicious day known as ‘Akshay Tritiya.’ The temple occupies 24 acres of land and was built using red sandstone from Rajasthan. Banerjee announced that the temple would open its doors to the public at 3:00 PM on Wednesday and welcomed visitors from all religions.

However, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) criticized her efforts. They announced plans to fix damaged temples in Murshidabad, a district where they won only two out of 76 assembly seats in 2021. Recently, Murshidabad faced violent protests that left three people dead. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari stated they would start repairing temples in Murshidabad on the same day as the temple opening.

BJP lawmaker Agnimitra Paul criticized Banerjee, claiming she is misleading Hindus by building this new temple and not helping those affected by past riots. Meanwhile, TMC (Trinamool Congress) spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya defended Banerjee’s actions, saying the BJP seems to be going against Bengal’s culture and the Hindu faith.