At every rally and public event, Mamata Banerjee states that she does not practise appeasement of any particular religion and that her politics is secular.

A few days ago, however, the West Bengal government announced it would build a Durga temple in New Town, Kolkata, where Mamata laid the foundation stone for the project. The project is called 'Durga Angan', and the invitation card for the inauguration ceremony was issued on behalf of the state government. The letter noted that West Bengal's traditional Durga Puja was recognised by UNESCO in 2021 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and that the Durga Angan project was meant to preserve that tradition. 

During the ceremony, Mamata placed a red sari and a white dhoti at the site. The explanation offered was symbolic: Durga is where Shiva is, and Shiva is where Durga is - the merger of 'Gauri' and 'Hara'. Mamata also announced plans to build a Mahakal Shiva temple in North Bengal.

The BJP leadership views these actions as a response to political pressure and to ease the perception that the Trinamool Congress........

© NDTV