Kolkata: In a growing wave of dissent, Durga Puja committees are returning the state government’s grant in protest against the rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal gives a grant to different committees that organise the annual Durga Puja celebrations. Last month, she had announced to increase in government funding.
With multiple Puja committees now refusing to accept the grant, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has dismissed the move as a "political stunt", even as the Left Front and the BJP have lauded their decision, calling it a rightful stand against injustice.
Following in the footsteps of Shakti Sangha in Uttarpara, the Hiland Park Utsav Committee in South Kolkata has become the latest to return the grant of Rs 85,000, which was recently increased by the state government from the previous amount of Rs 70,000. The committee members said they are rejecting the grant to express their solidarity with the victim’s family and demanding justice for the deceased doctor who was brutally killed after rape, ABP Ananda reported.
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'Heartening To See People Taking Stand'
The tragic incident at RG Kar Hospital has sparked widespread outrage, with residents and organisations taking to the streets to demand swift action and accountability. Amidst these protests, several Puja committees have chosen to distance themselves from the state’s financial support as a symbolic gesture.
The Hiland Park Utsav Committee took the decision to refuse the grant after holding discussions among the members. Though they had accepted the government grant last year, the committee members unanimously decided not to apply for the aid this time in light of the ongoing protests.
CPI(M) state secretary Mohammad Salim expressed his support for the committees’ decision. “This form of protest is commendable. It’s heartening to see people taking a stand like this,” he was quoted as saying in the ABP Ananda report.