A flex banner placed at the entrance of Kankalitala temple in Bolpur on Monday evening declared that only Hindus would be allowed to offer puja at the shrine, one of Birbhum's five Shakti Peethas. The banner, installed by unidentified youths claiming affiliation to 'Sanatan Paksha', has sparked controversy in the region.
Temple authorities respond
Temple priest Baidyanath Chakraborty stated, 'We have neither removed the banner nor endorsed it. No one is prohibited from entering the temple compound, but usually Hindus offer puja before the deity.' His remarks suggest a cautious distancing from the provocative move.
Pulak Chatterjee, senior priest of Tarapith temple, another major shrine in Birbhum, emphasized that there is no restriction or verification process for devotees there. He noted that several non-Hindu VIPs have visited and paid tribute without controversy, underlining how such exclusionary messaging is at odds with Bengal's temple traditions.
Political reactions
The local BJP leadership denied any involvement. Shyamapada Mondal, president of the party's Bolpur organisational district unit, said he had no information about the flex and opposed imposing new regulations on places of worship. 'We don't want to impose any new regulation for any place of worship. A temple should be run by the temple authority,' he stated.
The incident has raised concerns about rising communal tensions in the region, with many calling for the banner to be removed to maintain harmony. As of now, the banner remains in place, and no action has been taken by local authorities.
