Kolkata: The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress on Monday questioned the state government’s decision to confer the ‘Best of the Best Durga Puja’ award on Chorbagan Sarbojonin, where 19 people were killed in a stampede during Saptami.
The party asked whether spectacle had been prioritised over public safety after the puja received the ‘Serar Sera-3’ (Best of the Best) Devi Durga Samman 2026, along with awards for best lighting, best pandal and best environment-friendly puja.
The honour was conferred jointly by the Information and Cultural Affairs Department and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
The puja also bagged awards for best lighting, best pandal and best environment-friendly puja —recognitions the party said sat uncomfortably alongside the deadly crowd crush, as reported by The New Indian Express.
“The CM blamed the theme and low lighting for the problems faced by visitors. Yet the same Puja was recognised for Best Lighting, Best Pandal and Best Environment-Friendly Puja,” the party said in a social media post.
“So, what exactly was being judged? Spectacle over safety? Awards over accountability,” it asked, adding, “When a Puja is celebrated as the best, who takes responsibility when public safety fails?.”
Deadly Evening
The stampede struck on Saturday evening during Saptami, killing 19 people and injuring 25 others.
In its aftermath, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari called on organisers of theme-based Durga Pujas to ensure adequate lighting at venues and provide enough entry and exit gates for visitors.
“Many pandals are dimly lit in the name of theme puja,” he said, asking organisers to follow the advice of the authorities.
Across Kolkata and other parts of the state, Durga Puja committees compete fiercely to draw crowds through elaborate theme-based pandals and settings.
Meanwhile, a high-level panel set up to review safety arrangements at major Durga Puja pandals across the state visited several community pujas in Kolkata on Sunday.
The panel includes Disaster Management Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Fire Services Director General Anuj Sharma and STF Director General Jawed Shamim.
Chorbagan residents said sudden rain, a narrow lane, heavy crowds and inadequate deployment of volunteers and police for crowd management led to the stampede