Will urge PM to give message to people to follow COVID safety norms in Durga Puja: BJP

Kolkata: The BJP's West Bengal unit on Saturday said that it would request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deliver a message asking the people of the state to follow COVID-19 safety protocols during Durga Puja festival this year.

The matter was discussed recently by the party's state leadership, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said.

"We would request Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji to give a message to people before Durga Puja regarding COVID-19 safety precautions. Durga Puja is the biggest festival of Bengal, but we have to be careful due to the pandemic situation," he told reporters.


Earlier on Friday, Ghosh had urged the people of the state to observe Durga Puja but shun the festivities this year.

"There was not much celebration in Holi and Ramnavami this year. Let the celebrations be muted during COVID-19 time. We are scared of the safety of people as the chief minister said Durga Puja festivities would take place this year as well," he had said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had asked the puja committees to prepare open-air marquees in view of the contagion and ensure that pandal hoppers wear masks.

West Bengal on Friday recorded the highest single-day spike of 3,573 new COVID-19 cases, taking its tally to 2,87,603, while the death toll rose to 5,501 with 62 more deaths, according to the health department.