Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly said, “Religion belongs to everyone, festival belongs to everyone.” Thanking UNESCO for its global recognition, Mamata called on everyone “irrespective of party affiliation” at the rally. Many people came. Celebrities too. However, Sourav Ganguly added extra color to the Puja festival by appearing on the same stage next to Mamata Didi. Standing by Didi’s side, he welcomed members of the UNESCO delegation to the city. Said to enjoy the hospitality of this city.
On the call of the Chief Minister, it was somewhat expected that leaders and ministers, TV stars would join the march on Thursday. But Sourav’s presence is definitely a surprise. BCCI president Sourav has kept his distance from politics till now. Before the last assembly polls, there was intense speculation that Sourav could be the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate. In the end, though, it didn’t. But Mamata’s relationship with Sourav has always been warm. Union Home Minister Amit Shah went to attend a dinner party at Sourav Behala’s house on the sidelines of his visit to Kolkata. In that context, inviting Sourav to the stage of Puja festival must be a ‘shock’ given by Mamata. Engaging Sourav, one of the ‘Idols’ of Bengal, with the best festival of Bengal.
The opposition CPM, however, criticized the ruling party, the government and the chief minister over the procession. However, the ruling party did not care about all this. At the end of the colorful procession from Jorasanko to the Red Road, the UNESCO delegation, was welcomed by the Chief Minister. Mamata also called the officials of Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mahamedan Club one by one on stage. ‘Didi’ and ‘Dada’ handed over Durga idols made of fiber in their hands. Incidentally, red-yellow and green-maroon flags were also seen at the procession starting from Jorasanko and reaching the Red Road. On Thursday, along with members of the UNESCO delegation, Mamata also welcomed Tapati Guha Thakurta. This teacher has made a big contribution behind the recognition of UNESCO. She has been fighting this since 2018.
Sourav got up to speak and started in Bengali. He said, thinking about the foreign guests, he will say the rest in English. In his words, “I made the greeting in Bengali. The rest is in English. Thanks to the Chief Minister. I would like to thank the MLA, the Mayor. What Durga Puja is for us is beyond imagination. Whether you are rich or poor, powerful or powerless – Durga Puja brings smiles to everyone’s face. 7 to 70 — in everyone’s face.”
Source: Zee News