Doubt whether HC order will be enforced in letter & spirit by state admn: Adhir

West Bengal Congress presidentAdhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday expressed doubt if theCalcutta High Court order making all community puja pandals asno-entry zone will be enforced in letter and spirit by thestate administration.

He said the state government had “failed to give aconvincing” roadmap during the hearing at the high court aboutways to contain group transmission of COVID-19 virus if pujarevellers hit the streets.

Chowdhury, who is also the leader of the Congress inthe Lok Sabha described the Mamata Banerjee government as an”inept, inefficient regime”.

“The CM herself has confirmed community transmissionalready started in West Bengal and COVID-19 cases are on therise in the state. Keeping that situation in mind the statehas failed to convince the honble high court that it will beable to check that graph if crowds are allowed on puja days,”the West Bengal Congress president said.

“I have doubt if the administration will succeed inenforcing the order of the high court barring entry ofvisitors into the pandals. There are thousands of pujas acrossthe state, small and big,” he said.

Chowdhury alleged the CM has taken hasty decisions”which had only caused confusion in peoples mind.” The senior Congress leader further said decisions likeproviding Rs 50,000 as a grant to every puja committee hasbeen taken keeping an eye on vote bank politics while manypeople are dying every day due to lack of proper healthcarefacilities.

Chowdhury said though the HC decision may have madeBengalis disappointed as Durga puja is integrated with theirsentiments, “human lives are more precious. Festivals willcome and go.” The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday partly modifiedits order on community Durga Pujas, allowing drummers toperform within the no-entry zones of the marquees and raisingthe number of people who can be present there for big pujasfrom 25 to 60.

Hearing an appeal submitted by Forum for Durgotsab, adivision bench of the high court comprising Justices SanjibBanerjee and Arijit Banerjee, retained its earlier orderdeclaring all Durga Puja marquees no-entry zones and erectingbarricades in front of the pandals to prevent visitors fromentering inside in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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