BJP files FIR against CPI(M)'s Md Salim over Durga Puja remarks in Kolkata
Synopsis
The BJP has turned a series of CPI(M) leader Md Salim's remarks about Durga Puja — including criticism of a government ad showing the wrong number of hands on the idol — into a police complaint, even as Salim's original comments were directed at the TMC government's festival management and the Chorebagan pandal stampede that killed 19 people.
Key Takeaways
BJP filed an FIR against CPI(M) West Bengal state secretary Md.
Salim at Tala police station , north Kolkata , on 19 October 2026 .
The complaint, filed by BJP spokesperson Saptarshi Chowdhury , alleges Salim's remarks about Durga Puja hurt Hindu religious sentiments.
Salim had criticised a government advertisement that allegedly depicted the Durga idol with the wrong number of hands, and accused the government of 'turning a public festival into a government festival.' Salim also targeted the state government over the deaths of 19 people in a stampede at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal.
CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty dismissed the FIR, saying there was 'no need to comment.' The state police investigation is ongoing; no arrest has been reported.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against CPI(M) West Bengal state secretary Md. Salim at Tala police station in north Kolkata, alleging that his repeated remarks about Durga Puja have hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus, police confirmed on Monday, 19 October 2026. An investigation is currently underway.
What the Complaint Alleges
The complaint was filed by BJP spokesperson Saptarshi Chowdhury, who accused Salim — a former Member of Parliament — of making a series of derogatory comments about the festival and the deity Maa Durga. Chowdhury said in a statement: 'The way he is making one comment after another about Maa Durga is making us Hindus feel uncomfortable. We are shocked by what he is saying about the Hindu community. I have filed a complaint at Tala police station in protest of the comments he has made about Maa Durga. We are waiting to see what action the police take.'
Police confirmed the FIR was registered based on BJP's written complaint, and that the case is under investigation. No arrest has been reported as of this writing.
The Remarks That Triggered the Row
The controversy has multiple strands. Salim had drawn attention to a government advertisement that reportedly depicted the Durga idol with an incorrect number of hands, remarking: 'Till today, the BJP and the state government have not been able to decide how many hands the Durga idol has. Even atheists know that Durga has ten hands.'
He also alleged that the ruling dispensation was converting a community festival into a state-controlled event. Salim said: 'The government is turning a public festival into a government festival. They are trying to change Sharad Utsav into a Navratri festival by spending crores of rupees on painting the roads, bringing all the cloth for the pandals from Gujarat, and bringing in contractors. Why would this happen?'
Separately, Salim had criticised the government over the deaths of 19 visitors in a stampede at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal, calling for swift official accountability and better information for families of the deceased and injured.
CPI(M) Dismisses the FIR
CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty played down the complaint, saying: 'These are allegations against the government. If there is any action to be taken, the government will respond. Why are they (BJP) doing all this on their own initiative? Anyway, I don't think there is any need to comment on this.'
The ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) state government has also refuted the allegations directed at it by Salim in connection with the pandal stampede and broader festival management.
Political Context and What Comes Next
The episode underscores the intensifying political contest in West Bengal over Hindu religious symbols, a battleground that has defined the state's electoral landscape since the 2021 Assembly elections. The BJP has consistently sought to frame Durga Puja as a site of political contestation against both the TMC government and Left parties. Salim's remarks — directed primarily at the ruling party's festival management — appear to have given the BJP an opening to shift the focus toward alleged religious insensitivity. With the state police, which reports to the TMC government, now in charge of the investigation, the outcome of the FIR will be watched closely by all three political formations.
Point of View
The BJP has reframed a governance accountability argument as a religious offence, a playbook that has proved effective in Bengal's charged communal atmosphere. The deeper question the FIR sidesteps: who is accountable for 19 deaths at a state-adjacent Puja pandal?
NationPress
19 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the BJP filed an FIR against Md Salim?
The BJP filed an FIR against CPI(M) West Bengal state secretary Md. Salim at Tala police station in Kolkata on 19 October 2026, alleging that his repeated comments about Durga Puja were derogatory and hurt Hindu religious sentiments. BJP spokesperson Saptarshi Chowdhury filed the complaint; police have registered the case and begun an investigation.
What exactly did Md Salim say about Durga Puja?
Salim criticised a government advertisement that depicted the Durga idol with an incorrect number of hands, remarking that 'even atheists know that Durga has ten hands.' He also alleged the government was 'turning a public festival into a government festival' by controlling pandal supplies and road painting. Separately, he criticised the government's handling of a stampede that killed 19 people at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal.
What is the Chorebagan pandal stampede that Salim mentioned?
A stampede at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal resulted in the deaths of 19 visitors, according to the source. Salim used the incident to criticise the state government's festival management and called for faster information to families of the deceased and injured.
How has CPI(M) responded to the FIR against Salim?
CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty dismissed the FIR, saying the allegations were directed at the government and that he did not see 'any need to comment' on the BJP's initiative. The party has not issued a formal legal response as of the latest reports.
What happens next in the case against Md Salim?
The Tala police station in Kolkata has registered the FIR and an investigation is underway. Since the state police operates under the TMC government — against which Salim had also directed criticism — the direction and pace of the investigation will be closely watched by all political parties involved.
