Amit Shah in Kolkata for Durga Puja as BJP Marks First Puja in Bengal and Woman Detained After Threat to Mamata

Kolkata’s Durga Puja season became a backdrop for high political drama this week: Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived for a two-day visit to attend iconic puja celebrations, the BJP organized its first-ever Durga Puja in Bengal with the city’s streets painted in bright colors, and a woman carrying a knife was detained after allegedly approaching Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in an aggressive, intoxicated state. The convergence of these events on the eve of West Bengal’s anticipated state assembly elections makes this week’s Puja season politically as freighted as it is culturally significant.

🗳️ Amit Shah Visits Belur Math and Sovabazar Rajbari in Two-Day Bengal Puja Tour

Union Home Minister Amit Shah embarked on a two-day visit to West Bengal with an itinerary centered on some of Kolkata’s most historically and spiritually significant Durga Puja sites. His schedule, as reported by The Telegraph, included Belur Math — the global headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission and one of the most revered spiritual institutions in Bengal, founded by Swami Vivekananda — and the Sovabazar Rajbari, whose Durga Puja is considered among the oldest aristocratic celebrations in the city, with traditions stretching back to the 18th century when the Deb family of Sovabazar organized it as a gathering point for Kolkata’s emerging merchant aristocracy. The visit carries obvious political dimensions in a state where assembly elections are anticipated: the BJP’s national leadership has made sustained efforts to establish the party’s cultural credentials in Bengal, where Durga Puja is not merely a religious festival but the defining event of the civic calendar and a litmus test of community belonging. By visiting Belur Math, Shah pays homage to a site that holds deep reverence across communities regardless of political affiliation. The choice of the Sovabazar Rajbari — a celebration with deep roots in Bengali heritage — signals an effort to connect with the most traditional layer of the state’s cultural identity. Shah’s two-day presence drew extensive media coverage and significant security arrangements throughout the city. [1]

🗳️ Woman Detained After Alleged Knife Threat to CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata

A woman was detained by security personnel in Kolkata after an alleged incident in which she approached Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in an aggressive manner while carrying a knife. According to a complaint filed by Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen, as reported by The New Indian Express, the woman was in an intoxicated state at the time. She allegedly hurled abuses at Banerjee and attempted to approach her aggressively. The incident occurred around October 13, 2026, and security personnel intervened to detain the woman before any physical contact could be made. The incident has prompted serious questions about the security arrangements around one of India’s most prominent state leaders during a festival period when large public gatherings are commonplace and crowd management is inherently difficult. Mamata Banerjee, who has led West Bengal as Chief Minister since 2011, is known for her practice of moving through public spaces with relatively open access — a deliberate part of her political identity as a people’s leader. The knife-carrying incident illustrates the tension between that accessible style and the security imperatives that surround the chief minister. Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen’s formal complaint places the matter officially before law enforcement for investigation and appropriate action. Authorities confirmed the woman has been detained and is being questioned about her motivations and state of mind at the time of the incident. [2]

🪔 BJP Organizes First Durga Puja in Bengal as Kolkata Roads Painted in Festival Colors

The Bharatiya Janata Party broke significant new cultural ground in West Bengal by organizing its first-ever Durga Puja celebration in the state, with Kolkata’s roads painted in bright festival colors as part of the festivities, according to Moneycontrol. The move marks a deliberate expansion of the BJP’s engagement in Bengal beyond electoral campaigning into the domain of cultural participation, acknowledging that Durga Puja in this state is the central institution of community life and civic identity. For decades, Kolkata’s Durga Puja landscape has been organized around neighborhood clubs, community associations, and historic families whose celebrations define local belonging. Political parties have traditionally engaged with these existing structures rather than establishing their own independent celebrations. The BJP’s decision to organize its own puja represents a step toward inserting the party more directly into the cultural fabric of a state where it has historically been seen as an outside force. The colorfully painted Kolkata roads visible during the puja period added to the city’s festive atmosphere and provided a visible mark of the party’s presence in public spaces during the festival. Cultural observers note that the credibility of a Durga Puja is judged not just by its scale but by the community participation it attracts, the artistic quality of its pandal, and the depth of its devotional practice — standards that take years to establish. The BJP’s first puja will be watched closely as a data point about whether the party’s cultural investment in Bengal is gaining genuine traction. [6]

Sources: [1] Telegraph India · [2] The New Indian Express · [6] Moneycontrol.com