Kolkata, Oct 19 (IANS) An FIR has been filed against CPI(M) state secretary Md. Salim for repeatedly making “derogatory” comments about Durga Puja, the police said on Monday.

The BJP has filed a complaint against him at Tala police station in north Kolkata. According to the police, the FIR was registered based on the complaint by the BJP. An investigation is also underway.

The complaint against Salim was filed at the police station by BJP spokesperson and party leader Saptarshi Chowdhury.

He claims that the CPI(M) state secretary and former MP has hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus by making derogatory comments about Durga Puja.

Saptarshi said on Monday, “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.”

Salim has targeted the ruling party and the state government in the state over the death of 19 visitors in a stampede at Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal.

Salim said, “So many deaths, so many injuries! We are all shocked. No one wanted such a state of mourning to be created in the midst of a festival. There are no words to express condolences to the relatives of the deceased. Now, arrangements should be made so that those who are injured recover quickly. The locals have tried their best in the rescue operation. Due to the lack of ambulances and police vehicles, public transport was not available as traffic was closed there. Even then, the locals booked Ola-Uber and arranged to send everyone to the hospital. The government should quickly provide accurate and clear information to the families of the deceased and injured.”

The ruling party and the state government have refuted all such allegations. Earlier, Salim took a dig at the BJP over the presence of an extra hand on the idol of Durga in a government advertisement.

The CPI(M) state secretary had said, “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 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?”

Regarding the FIR filed against Salim, CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said, “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.”

–IANS

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