Mamata Stumps BJP With Her Digha Temple Move

By inaugurating the magnificent Jagannath Dham temple in the tourist town of Digha on the auspicious Akshya Trithiya, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has completely stunned state BJP leaders. Many BJP leaders who attacked her for not visiting Murshidabad where Hindus were victims in violence unleashed by Muslims over Waqf Bill wonder if Digha Dham is a ploy to placate the majority community. The lone leader questioning the project is LoP Suvendu Adhikari. He insists that Hindu temples can’t be a state project and talks of his own efforts to restore temples in Murshidabad. The Digha consecration ceremony was held with great grandeur, with sacred water from various pilgrimage sites brought to the temple for the rituals. Several celebrities and prominent figures from West Bengal’s music and film industry, along with political leaders, were present. Constructed in the traditional Kalinga architectural style, the grand structure, developed by the state government at a cost of Rs 250 crore, the dham is expected to emerge as a major centre for pilgrimage and tourism. Mirroring the design of the original Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, the Digha Dham is spread across 20 acres. BJP sources admit no one wants to criticise the project as Digha is a popular sea resort for Bengalis from Kolkata, especially those who can’t afford time or money to go to Puri. Hitting out at Mamata, BJP leader Amit Malviya posted on X, “This is how Mamata Banerjee appeared at the inauguration of the Jagannath Cultural Centre in Digha. There is no sign of devotional enthusiasm—only a sinister political calculation aimed at salvaging her reputation as an anti-Hindu leader”.  In social media, Didi is already being hailed as the second Bengali Woman after Rani Rashmoni–who had built Dakshineswar Temple associated with Ramakrishna Paramahans–to establish a historic Hindu Temple in Bengal.