Siliguri posters asking people to shop only at Hindu stores spark political row

Posters asking people to buy daily goods, meat, and biryani only from Hindu-owned shops have appeared across Siliguri in north Bengal, starting a sharp political dispute ahead of the Durga Puja festival. The Hindu Jagaran Manch put up these colourful posters in Bengali across the town. Members of the group said the message is an appeal to the Hindu community rather than a strict order. Manch member Abhishek Das said the campaign aims to help the local economy through community support. Local residents and opposition leaders have strongly criticized the campaign.

Reactions And Denials

Santosh Roy, a local resident, expressed shock that such posters could appear in West Bengal. Former Communist Party of India (Marxist) minister and former Siliguri mayor Asok Bhattacharya called the posters a crime in a secular nation and demanded police action and the arrest of those behind the campaign. Meanwhile, Union minister of state for education Sukanta Majumdar distanced his party from the group, stating that the Hindu Jagaran Manch is an independent organisation. Majumdar added that while his party is not involved, people are always free to choose which shops they visit.

Context

This is not the first time the Hindu Jagaran Manch has drawn public attention in the town. In 2025, the group joined the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to lead a protest outside the Bangladesh visa application centre in Siliguri over alleged atrocities against Hindus in the neighboring country.