West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee initiated the construction of Durga Angan, a temple dedicated to Goddess Durga in New Town, Kolkata. She also disclosed plans to lay the foundation stone for the Mahakal temple in Siliguri next month. The Durga Angan, spanning 2 lakh square feet, is designed to accommodate up to 1 lakh visitors simultaneously.
During the ceremony, Banerjee emphasized that the Durga Angan would not serve as a religious site but would create employment opportunities. She stressed her commitment to religious inclusivity and mentioned that the construction of the temple would be overseen by a trust led by the West Bengal Chief Secretary, Manoj Pant. Banerjee clarified that she attends rituals of various religions with equal respect.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticized Banerjee’s actions, labeling them as part of her alleged appeasement politics. Amit Malviya, BJP’s Information Technology Cell chief for West Bengal, accused Banerjee of tarnishing the image of Goddess Durga following the recent Lionel Messi event controversy at Salt Lake Stadium.
