Why Was Mahatma Gandhi Depicted As Mahisasura At Kolkata Puja Pandal?

Kolkata: A controversy erupted after a Durga Puja here organised by the All India Hindu Mahasabha depicted the ‘Mahisasura’ as Mahatma Gandhi, sparking a controversy. However, after pressure from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the organisers of the puja changed and removed the face, they alleged.

Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha changed the appearance of the idol following instructions from the police after a complaint was lodged, news agency PTI reported.

When contacted, Chandrachur Goswami, working president of the West Bengal state unit of All India Hindu Mahasabha, told India Today, “We see Gandhi as true asura. He is the real asura. That’s why we made the murti like this.”

“The central government is promoting Mahatma Gandhi. We were forced to remove the murti and change it. We have been pressurised by the Home Ministry. We want to remove Gandhi from everywhere and keep Netaji Subash Chandra Bose and other freedom fighters in front,” Goswami was quoted as saying.

According to mythology, Goddess Durga slew Mahusasur in an epic battle to end his evil reign. A journalist tweeted a purported photograph of the Durga idol, before deleting the post claiming that the police asked him to do so as it might create tension during the festival.

The ruling Trinamool Congress in the state and the opposition parties including Bharatiya Janata Party, CPI-M, Congress and the Bengal Provincial Hindu Mahasabha condemned the move. The leader of the Bengal Provincial Hindu Mahasabha said, “We condemn what they have done. This is only to come in the limelight. They claim themselves as Hindu Mahasabha. But we think this is sad,” India Today reported.

The ruling Trinamool Congress state spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said if this was really done, it was nothing but sacrilege.

“It is an insult to the Father of the Nation. It is an insult to every citizen of the country. What would the BJP say about such an insult? We know the assassin of Gandhiji belonged to which ideological camp,” Ghosh was quoted as saying.

The state BJP too castigated such a representation. “If such a move had been made, it is unfortunate. We condemn it. This is in poor taste,” BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar was quoted by PTI as saying.

Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha also claimed that they are the ‘only’ Hindu Mahasabha party. Chandrachur Goswami said, “All the other Hindu Mahasabha organisations are false. These are all triggered by the BJP.”

Every year, puja organisers choose a theme, mainly social issues, and use their pandals, idols and lighting arrangements to depict it. Many a time, the traditional Mahisasura was replaced by something that represents social evil.