MAMATA PLAYS RELIGION CARD IN BENGAL

PM Modi's two-day visit to West Bengal showcases development-focused agenda in sharp contrast to Mamata's aggressive temple-building campaign in recent days

- SUPROTIM MUKHERJEE

As West Bengal braces for crucial Assembly elections in April-May next year, two contrasting political narratives are emerging-Prime Minister Narendra Modi's infrastructure-focussed visit to the state on January 17-18 and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's aggressive temple-building campaign, including the recent foundation-laying of the Mahakal Mandir in Siliguri.

On Friday, Banerjee laid the foundation stone for what she announced would be the world’s tallest Mahakal idol in North Bengal’s Siliguri, a 216-feet-high structure including a 108-feet bronze sculpture. Speaking at the ceremony attended by leaders from various religious communities, she positioned the project as a boost to cultural tourism.

The Mahakal Mahatirtha project, to be built on 17 acres of land along National Highway 10, follows Banerjee’s earlier temple initiatives—the Rs 250-crore Jagannath Temple at Digha in Purba Medinipur inaugurated in April 2025, and the Durga Angan in New Town, Kolkata, for which she laid the foundation in December. The Durga Angan, spread across 17.28 acres with a project cost of Rs 262 crore, is designed to accommodate one lakh devotees daily.

During her December address at the Durga Angan ceremony, Banerjee framed the project as cultural preservation. “Durga Puja was recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage. At the Durga Angan, the culture and spirituality of Bengal will come together,” she said, adding, “Thousands of people will come here every day.”

The Chief Minister also took a direct swipe at critics. “Many people have said that I am engaging in appeasement, but I am secular and believe in all religions,” she had declared, announcing she would build the Gangasagar bridge herself after waiting “in vain” for Central assistance, and would lay the foundation stone for the Mahakal Temple in mid-January.