Samik declines Durga Puja committee role, feels festivals are above politics

Ending days of speculation, West Bengal BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya on Tuesday categorically ruled out taking charge as president of the prestigious College Square Durga Puja committee or assuming any leadership role in any Durga Puja committee across the state.

In a statement posted on social media, Bhattacharya said he had no intention of becoming the president of the College Square Durga Puja committee or participating in the management of any other Durga Puja committee in West Bengal. His clarification comes amid widespread political discussions over reports that he could be entrusted with the leadership of one of Kolkata’s most prominent community pujas.

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“I am not becoming the president of the College Square Durga Puja committee. Not only College Square, I will not become the president of any Durga Puja committee in the state, nor will I take responsibility for managing any puja,” Bhattacharya wrote. Explaining his decision, the BJP’s state chief said Durga Puja is a festival that belongs to the people and should remain free from political control. He stressed that preserving the independence, distinct identity and inclusive character of community pujas was of paramount importance.

Bhattacharya observed that while an elected representative such as an MLA or a minister may choose to serve as the president of a puja committee in his or her own constituency, such individual decisions should not set a precedent for political leaders to assume control over multiple puja committees. Durga Puja belongs to everyone, not to any political party,” he said, adding that festivals should continue to be organised and celebrated by local communities rather than being identified with political organisations or their leaders.

He further stated that his decision was guided by the belief that Durga Puja committees must retain their autonomy and universal character. According to him, the spirit of the festival lies in public participation, cultural inclusiveness and community ownership, values that should remain untouched by political influence.

“The independence, individuality and universal nature of Durga Puja committees must remain intact. That is why we have taken this decision. Let the joy of the festival remain in the hands of the people, not under the control of politics,” Bhattacharya said in his message.

Bhattacharya’s statement also comes at a time when the role of political leaders in community festivals has increasingly become a subject of public debate in West Bengal.