Kolkata

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday inaugurated the Durga Puja pandal of Santosh Mitra Square here, and said he prayed to the goddess that post the 2026 West Bengal assembly polls, there is a new government which restores the state’s lost 'Sonar Bangla' glory.

Shah said Bengal should once again become safe, peaceful and prosperous, fulfilling the dream of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

“I have prayed to Maa Durga that after this election, a government should be formed that can build a ‘Sonar Bangla’ (golden Bengal). Our Bengal should once again become safe, prosperous, peaceful and abundant. We should be able to build a Bengal that Kavi Guru Rabindranath Tagore had envisioned,” Shah said.

“I also extend my greetings to people of the state and the country for Durga Puja,” Shah said at the inauguration of the pandal of the Santosh Mitra Square Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity in north Kolkata.

The home minister also expressed grief over the recent rain-related deaths in the state, and conveyed condolences to the bereaved families.

“At the beginning of the festivities, we experienced a very sad moment. More than 10 people lost their lives. I pay my homage to all those who died,” Shah said.

At least 11 people died following torrential rain in the metropolis and adjoining areas on September 23.

Shah described Bengal’s Durga Puja festivities as a cultural treasure admired across the globe.

“This nine-day Navratri festival has become famous not only in Bengal and India, but all over the world. This great tradition of Bengal is witnessed with great joy by the whole world. For nine days, everyone in Bengal dedicates themselves to the worship of Shakti,” he said.

“May the festival of Durga Puja lead Bengal towards new heights, and through the development of the state, may we be able to realise the dream of a developed India that our leader Narendra Modi ji has envisioned,” Shah said.

The home minister also inaugurated the Durga Puja pandal of the BJP-backed Paschim Banga Sanskriti Mancha at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake.

The senior BJP leader also paid tribute to educationist and social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar on his birth anniversary.

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“No one can forget what Vidyasagar ji did for education, not only in Bengal but throughout the country during the colonial era. He dedicated his entire life to the Bengali language, the state’s culture and the education of women. Today, on behalf of crores of BJP workers, I bow to the feet of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar,” Shah said.