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A fresh political storm has erupted in West Bengal over a damaged Goddess Kali idol in South 24 Parganas, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the ruling government of appeasement and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) hitting back with allegations of “distorted politics”. The controversy first surfaced when visuals surfaced on social media showing the desecration of Maa Kali at a temple in Kakdwip, South 24 Parganas. The BJP alleged that the idol was “beheaded” and the West Bengal police ordered the closure of the temple in a bid to save the perpetrators. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari accused ‘jihadi elements’ of carrying out the crime and warned of a conspiracy to turn West Bengal into ‘West Bangladesh’ under the TMC regime. “Hindus in West Bengal are bearing the consequences of Mamata Banerjee’s politics of appeasement. Under Mamata’s misrule, a particular community’s terrorists have been vandalising idols of Hindu gods and goddesses, destroying puja pandals, looting Hindu homes, or setting them ablaze in West Bengal, and no punishment has been meted out for these acts so far,” he said on X. নিচের ভিডিওটা দেখে কেউ বাংলাদেশ বলে ভুল করবেন না, এটা পশ্চিমবঙ্গের বর্তমান অবস্থা। আমি বার বার বলেছি পশ্চিমবঙ্গ কে পশ্চিম বাংলাদেশ বানানোর চক্রান্ত চলছে, হিন্দুরা এখনি না জাগলে সমূহ বিপদ অপেক্ষা করছে আগামী দিনে গত রাতে কাকদ্বীপ বিধানসভার সূর্যনগর গ্রাম পঞ্চায়েত এলাকার উত্তর… pic.twitter.com/YB8FwtME3C — Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) October 22, 2025 BJP IT department head Amit Malviya also criticised the state government, calling the incident “a stark reflection of the TMC government’s administrative apathy”, and criticised the police for closing the temple instead of taking action against the culprits. Maa Kali Taken In Police Van The row intensified after the BJP posted visuals of the idol being taken in a police van after locals protested against the closure of the temple. “Mamata Banerjee’s police took away Maa Kali in a prison van! Shame, shame — there’s no place to hide this disgrace,” said Malviya. “Police initially intimidated villagers and locked the temple gates, but had to reopen them after strong protests from locals. Instead of arresting the culprits, the police turned their force on the villagers. This blatant misuse of power sparked outrage among Hindus, who united in protest — forcing the administration onto the defensive.” Mamata Banerjee’s police took away Maa Kali in a prison van! Shame, shame — there’s no place to hide this disgrace… Yesterday, from the puja pandal of North Chandannagar village (Suryanagar Gram Panchayat, Kakdwip Assembly constituency), jihadis vandalised the idol of Maa Kali,… pic.twitter.com/BFDAQAvFlv — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) October 22, 2025 “In a move that shocked everyone, Sundarbans District SP Koteswar Rao fled the scene with hundreds of policemen, taking away the idol of Maa Kali in a prison van. This is not just an insult to Hindu faith — it is an assault on Bengal’s soul,” Malviya added. Taking to X, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said, “In a blatant display of appeasement toward hardline fundamentalists, the failed Chief Minister @MamataOfficial and her party leaders have, on multiple occasions, attempted in various ways to hurt the religious sentiments and faith of Sanatan Hindu followers. But such an unfortunate and insulting sight has never before been witnessed in West Bengal.” “The idol of Maa Kali was placed inside a prison van! This incident is not only utterly condemnable but one that compels every devotee to bow their head in shame. Because of Mamata Banerjee’s shameless politics of appeasement, every Hindu in Bengal is living in fear and uncertainty. Under Mamata Banerjee’s rule, even though Sanatan Dharma and its followers face open persecution, the West Bengal police and administration continue to act as if they are mute and deaf,” he added. In a blatant display of appeasement toward hardline fundamentalists, the failed Chief Minister @MamataOfficial and her party leaders have, on multiple occasions, attempted in various ways to hurt the religious sentiments and faith of Sanatan Hindu followers. But such an… pic.twitter.com/cFrxasWPkS — Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (@DrSukantaBJP) October 22, 2025 TMC Responds Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress rejected the claims made by the BJP leaders, calling them politically motivated. “The police have explained it. Some people are trying to play distorted politics out of it. Action is being taken by police,” a TMC spokesperson was quoted by NDTV as saying. “The BJP is trying to communalise the incident and vitiate the atmosphere. Let police complete the probe. We condemn any attempt to disturb the harmony in this area,” a local TMC leader told news agency PTI. West Bengal Police warned that efforts are being made to spread misinformation about the Kakdwip incident. “Facts are: an idol of Goddess Kali in a village temple under Suryanagar GP was found to be damaged this morning. Efforts are on to identify the person/ persons behind the mischief. Stern action will be taken against those responsible for the incident,” it said. Efforts are being made from certain quarters to spread misinformation about an incident in Kakdwip. Facts are: an idol of Goddess Kali in a village temple under Suryanagar GP was found to be damaged this morning. Efforts are on to identify the person/ persons behind the mischief.… — West Bengal Police (@WBPolice) October 22, 2025 Police said locals had blocked the national highway over the issue along with the damaged idol and refused to go ahead with the immersion. After appealing to agitators for hours to withdraw the blockade, police used minimum force to disperse the mob when it started pelting stones, as per the statement. The situation in the area remained tense but under control. Additional police personnel have been deployed at the site to prevent any escalation.
