The annual Hindu festival of Saraswati Puja witnessed repeated disruptions across several parts of West Bengal, a state governed by the Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress. These incidents, reported from different districts, point to a troubling pattern where religious celebrations were interrupted due to political infighting, threats, and administrative restrictions.

On Friday, 23rd January, internal conflict within the ruling Trinamool Congress directly affected Saraswati Puja celebrations in Kamarhati city, located in the North 24 Parganas district. According to a report by DD News Bangla, the Belghadia Sarbajanin Sr Sri Durga Chowk Society Mandir was locked by one faction of the TMC, effectively preventing devotees from entering the temple. Because of this lock, local Hindu women were unable to offer prayers to Goddess Saraswati on an important religious day.

Despite the seriousness of the issue, the local TMC councillor failed to resolve the dispute. Even more concerning was the response of the police, who refused to intervene. Authorities made it clear that they would not remove the lock unless the two warring TMC factions reached a mutual understanding. Expressing her frustration, a local woman said, “We want this temple to be a common place for worship. There will be only one lock, with 2 keys. One key will be in their possession while the other one will be with us,” explaining that the demand was for shared access rather than control. Another woman echoed this sentiment, stating clearly, “This is not the property of an individual. It belongs to everyone.”

TMC Leader Issues Threats to Students at Mamata Banerjee’s Alma Mater Over Saraswati Puja

In a separate incident from South Kolkata, a female student from the government-sponsored Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri College revealed that students were threatened for attempting to organise Saraswati Puja on campus. According to the student, the threat came from a TMC leader identified as Daud Alam Molla. In a video that later went viral, the student described the situation in disturbing terms, saying, _“Daud Alam Molla is standing outside. He has threatened me that he will f* my LLM.”_**

This incident carries additional weight because Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri Law College is the alma mater of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself. The situation also recalls an earlier case reported in January 2025, when Mohammad Shabbir Ali, then General Secretary of the West Bengal State Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, allegedly threatened students with rape and murder if they went ahead with Saraswati Puja celebrations.

Political Infighting Forces Cancellation of Saraswati Puja at College Campus

Yet another disruption occurred on the same day, 23rd January, at Dinhata College in the Cooch Behar district. Saraswati Puja preparations came to a halt after clashes erupted between two factions of the ruling TMC party. According to a report by ABP Ananda, the situation deteriorated to the point that police intervention became necessary to maintain law and order.

Following reports of unrest, the officer-in-charge of Dinhata police station along with the Sub-Divisional Police Officer arrived at the college campus. By that time, the environment had become unsafe. Hindu devotees who had come to take part in the Puja were forced to flee to protect themselves. Visuals from the location showed scenes of chaos, with the college campus resembling a battlefield as clashes between TMC supporters escalated.

Saraswati Puja Barred Inside School Because Hindu Students Are a Minority

In another troubling case from Barasat city in North 24 Parganas district, Hindu students were denied permission to conduct Saraswati Puja within their school premises. Reports indicate that the denial was based on the fact that more than 50 percent of the students in the school were Muslims. A video circulating on social media showed police officials actively stopping students from proceeding with the worship.

Left with no alternative, the Hindu students were compelled to organise the Puja outside the school gates, on the footpath. During the incident, a man identified as Pradip Chatterjee voiced his anguish, saying, “They said that Puja cannot be conducted here since Hindus are a minority in this school…There is no difference in the plight of Hindus residing in West Bengal and Bangladesh.” He further explained that police officials effectively turned Goddess Saraswati away, forcing students to offer flowers to the deity by the roadside instead of within the school.

Reacting strongly, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari condemned the incident and raised serious questions about the direction the state was heading in. In a tweet, he asked, “Has West Bengal now turned into Bangladesh?” He followed this by adding, “This incident teaches us one thing – How will Hindus be treated if they become a minority?”

These four incidents are among those reported by local Bangla media outlets. As has often been observed in West Bengal, issues related to Hindu religious rights receive limited attention from mainstream media. Given this pattern, it would not be surprising if the actual number of Saraswati Puja disruptions across the state runs far higher than what has currently come to light.