Hindu Mahasabha puts hair, moustache on Gandhi's look-alike asur at Kolkata puja pandal following outrage

New Delhi: Following outrage over Mahatma Gandhi’s look-alike asur idol at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata, the organiser Hindu Mahasabha has put hair and moustache on the statue.

A police complaint has been filed against the outfit.

The outfit said that it changed the look of the idol after police intervention.

Earlier, India Today reported that the outfit changed the idol’s appearance following pressure from the Home Ministry.

According to mythology, Goddess Durga slew Mahusasur (a demon) in a battle to end his evil reign.

After row the Hindu Mahasabha of West Bengal has put hair and moustache on Asura which was originally Mahatma Gandhi’s look alike. Last night people gave inflammatory speech by saying “Gandhi can’t be father of the nation.”
Here Before and After Pic. #HinduMahasabha #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/9QMVlEUZTf

— Sayantan Ghosh (@sayantan_gh) October 3, 2022

Meanwhile, the organisers said the similarities were just a coincidence.

“The Durga idol that was worshipped here initially had a Mahisasur whose face looked similar to that of Mahatma Gandhi. The similarities are just a coincidence. After photos of it went viral, a police team visited the marquee and asked us to change the face,” Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha state working President Chandrachur Goswami told PTI.

Goswami said the organisation didn’t mean to hurt anybody’s sentiments.

“The police asked us to change it, and we obliged. We put a moustache and hair on Mahishasur’s idol,” he added.

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The move drew condemnation from across party lines.

The ruling Trinamool Congress state spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said if this was really done, it was nothing but sacrilege.

“It is an insult to the Father of Nation. It is an insult to every citizen of the country. What would the BJP say about such an insult? We know the assassin of Gandhiji belonged to which ideological camp,” Ghosh added.

The state BJP too condemned such a representation.

If such a move had been made, it is unfortunate. We condemn it. This is in poor taste,” BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar told reporters.

“We don’t support what Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha did. We condemn it. We too had differences with Gandhi ji’s views, but this is not a way to protest against it,” said Sandip Mukherjee, President, Bangiya Parishad Hindu Mahasabha.

Every year, many puja organisers choose a theme, mainly social issues, and use their pandals, idols and lighting arrangements to depict it. Many a time, the traditional Mahisasura was replaced by something else that represents social evil.

With inputs from agencies

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