Suvendu Adhikari accuses past Bengal governments of undermining Hindu culture

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has accused the state's previous Left Front and Trinamool Congress governments of a five-decade campaign to systematically dismantle the cultural and religious traditions of Bengali Hindus.

Speaking on Saturday at the inauguration of a Ganesh Puja in Kestopur, Adhikari declared that the current BJP administration is actively working to resurrect the heritage and traditional practices that define the state.

The Chief Minister argued that the erosion of Bengal’s cultural identity had been an ongoing political project for nearly half a century. He specifically pointed to the 34-year tenure of the Left Front and the subsequent 15 years of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government.

How did past administrations affect Durga Puja and Hindu festivals?

During the decades of Left rule, Adhikari claimed, traditional Hindu customs, scriptures, and festivals were deliberately suppressed. He alleged that Communist authorities worked to replace religious texts with political propaganda, noting that books by Karl Marx and Lenin were frequently distributed at festival pandals. Meanwhile, the writings of Swami Vivekananda, Swami Pranavananda, and literature from the Ramakrishna Mission were systematically excluded.

"Those who had ruled West Bengal for 34 years did not want us to write about or follow our religious traditions, scriptures, and rituals," Adhikari said.

The Chief Minister was equally critical of the subsequent 15-year TMC administration, which he accused of sowing deep social divisions under the guise of religion, language, and cultural celebrations. Though he did not mention former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by name, he raised a highly contentious historical grievance: the state-imposed limits on Durga Puja idol immersions during Muharram.

Adhikari promised that his government would end such political interference in religious calendars. "Whatever is written in the almanac will be followed during the Durga Puja festival," he said, adding that the BJP plans to fully restore traditional calendars and observances.

What did the Chief Minister say about the Bangladeshi Hindu monk?

Adhikari also addressed broader regional concerns, drawing attention to the historic suffering of refugees from East Pakistan during the Partition, and speaking on the current situation of Hindus in neighbouring Bangladesh.

Specifically, he highlighted the case of Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu, an incarcerated Bangladeshi Hindu monk whose arrest has sparked international concern. Adhikari noted that recent images of the monk mourning beside the body of his mother had deeply impacted the global Hindu community, saying "the tears of Chinmoy Prabhu had moved 'sanatanis' across the world."

The remarks serve as a direct response to the TMC, which on Friday had criticised the BJP for what it described as a calculated silence on the plight of the Bangladeshi monk. Adhikari concluded by calling on Bengali Hindus to remain unified in defending their shared identity, scriptures, and heritage.