RSS and Bengal Minister Condemn Attacks on Left Book Stalls During Durga Puja

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and a senior Bengal cabinet minister have condemned recent vandalism at Left book stalls by alleged Right-wing groups in West Bengal. Jishnu Basu, prachar pramukh of the RSS east zonal unit, stated that the organization condemns such acts of cowardice and supports everyone's right to express their views. Basu added that the perpetrators have not been identified and their senders remain unknown, following viral videos from Kolkata and the districts. Stalls set up by the CPI(M), CPI, and CPI(ML) Liberation near community Durga Puja pandals have faced ransacking by Hindutva groups or removal by police citing a lack of permission since last week. Bengal finance minister Swapan Dasgupta also condemned the incidents, stating they made him hang his head in shame despite his lifelong criticism of the Left. CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty dismissed these condemnations, arguing that the vandalism started under BJP patronage and linked it to comments made by Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari. Adhikari had stated in the assembly on September 10 that community Durga Puja committees should allow Left stalls near pandals only if the parties called the festival Durga Puja instead of Sharodotsav, a term traditionally used by communists due to their atheist beliefs. Videos after the vandalism purportedly showed perpetrators claiming to act on Adhikari's orders, which Dasgupta rejected by questioning how they dared carry out acts in their name. The BJP, five months after coming to power in the state, faced further criticism on Saturday when 19 people died in a stampede at a Kolkata Durga Puja pandal, following which the CPI(M) alleged police attempted to demolish a Jadavpur stall with a bulldozer. BJP spokesperson Sayantan Basu denied party involvement, while Trinamool Congress legislator Kunal Ghosh visited the Jadavpur stall on Sunday to express solidarity and buy a book.

Context

Festive seasons in West Bengal often see various political groups setting up public outreach stalls and literature booths near major celebration sites. Debates over cultural nomenclature and the right to public expression frequently intersect with local political tensions during these large community gatherings.