Kolkata: CM Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said, “We have to save India from the tukde-tukde gang, those demanding ‘Azadi’ for Kashmir, and the cockroaches and bugs. We must revive the spirit of Vande Mataram and strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”Addressing the inaugural programme of the Durga Puja at Santosh Mitra Square in central Kolkata, Adhikari also said singing the complete Vande Mataram had been made mandatory in all schools and madrasas across the state.The CM warned critics against using the term “saffron terror” to describe incidents involving Hindutva supporters, saying the government would “take appropriate action” against those who do.Without naming former CPM MP Bikash Bhattacharya, Adhikari referred to a social media post in which Bhattacharya had described an alleged attack on his residence as a “Hindutvawadi attack.” Police had acted promptly and arrested the person involved, Adhikari said.“A stone was thrown at a Communist’s house and he claimed a Hindutvawadi attack. Are you, I and all of us not Hindus? Do we not live in Hindustan?” he asked.Adhikari recalled Santosh Mitra Square’s 2023 Durga Puja theme — Jai Shri Ram — chosen ahead of the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. He said organiser and Baranagar MLA Sajal Ghosh had consulted him on the theme when he was leader of the opposition.He claimed the slogan, which resonated at the puja in 2023, was now being heard across Bengal, from Darjeeling to Digha and Cooch Behar to Kakdwip.“It has not been very long—just five and a half months. But we have made the complete Vande Mataram mandatory in all schools and madrasas. There can be no compromise on this,” Adhikari said.The CM later inaugurated the Sreebhumi Sporting Club Durga Puja at Laketown. The committee this year has shifted towards a more resident-driven celebration, promising to reduce political interference and avoid traffic disruptions associated with previous years.
