kolkata

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; Kolkata, September 10: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has directed the Kolkata Police to take action against those who allegedly staged a protest outside Bhawanipur police station by burning a picture of Madhya Pradesh’s Bageshwar Dham seer Dhirendra Krishna Shastri. The Chief Minister issued the instruction on Wednesday while speaking in the state Assembly, directing Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nanda to ensure the immediate arrest of those involved in the incident.

The protest was reportedly organised in opposition to remarks made by Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, the head priest of Bageshwar Dham in Madhya Pradesh. The incident subsequently became a subject of discussion in the state Assembly, where the Chief Minister made it clear that the government would take action over the burning of the religious leader’s picture.

Addressing the Assembly, Adhikari said that a religious leader had visited the state and had expressed his views in accordance with his beliefs. According to the Chief Minister, people were free to accept or reject those views, but there was no indication that the seer had attempted to impose his opinion on anyone.

“There was a religious leader who came to the state. He expressed his views in his own way. If people want to accept them, they can accept them; if they do not want to accept them, they do not have to. He did not impose anything on anyone,” the Chief Minister said.

Adhikari added that he had heard about the controversy surrounding the remarks and referred specifically to the protest held outside Bhawanipur police station, where the picture of the Bageshwar Dham seer was allegedly set on fire.

The Chief Minister said he had instructed the Kolkata Police Commissioner to take immediate action against everyone involved in the incident. “I have instructed the CP that everyone who has done this must be arrested,” he said in the Assembly.

The directive has brought the protest and the controversy surrounding the religious leader’s remarks into sharper political focus. The government’s position, as articulated by the Chief Minister, was that disagreement with a religious figure’s statements could be expressed through democratic means, but acts such as burning his picture would invite action from the authorities.

The incident has also highlighted the sensitive nature of public controversies involving religious figures and statements on matters of faith and belief. While political and social groups may express disagreement with such remarks, the administration has stressed the need to maintain public order and ensure that protests remain within the boundaries of the law.

The Kolkata Police is now expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the protest, identify those allegedly involved in burning the picture and proceed according to the Chief Minister’s directive. The matter is likely to remain a subject of political discussion as authorities move ahead with the investigation.

The Chief Minister’s strong statement in the Assembly underlines the state government’s determination to respond firmly to incidents that it considers a violation of law and order, particularly when they involve religious figures and have the potential to trigger wider controversy.