Suvendu Adhikari Durga ad controversy
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has apologised over a government advertisement(Suvendu Adhikari Durga ad controversy)that depicted Goddess Durga with 11 arms instead of the traditional 10, bringing the controversy surrounding the image to an end, at least for now.
Speaking at a coordination meeting with Durga Puja committees at Milan Mela Prangan on Monday, Adhikari acknowledged the error and said those responsible for the advertisement had been warned. He also assured that the government would be more careful in the future.
The controversy began after an advertisement issued by the state’s Information and Cultural Affairs Department appeared in several newspapers on Monday morning. The advertisement, related to preparations and coordination for Durga Puja, carried an image of Goddess Durga with 11 arms.
The depiction quickly attracted attention because Goddess Durga is traditionally worshipped in her Dashabhuja, or ten-armed, form. The additional arm in the government advertisement triggered criticism from political opponents and sparked a debate on social media.
The Trinamool Congress and Left leaders criticised the BJP-led government over the depiction. CPM leader Shatarup Ghosh shared the advertisement and took a sarcastic swipe at the government. The Trinamool Congress also accused the BJP government of mishandling Bengal’s religious and cultural traditions.
BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya also reacted to the controversy. He said he had not seen the advertisement himself but suggested that the error could have occurred at the agency responsible for publishing it.
Bhattacharya dismissed the issue as a political matter and said the mistake would be corrected. In a lighter remark, he said that Goddess Durga had become “more powerful”, while maintaining that the advertisement should simply be rectified.
Adhikari subsequently addressed the controversy himself at the Durga Puja meeting. He apologised for the government advertisement and described it as an error.
The Chief Minister said those responsible had already been cautioned and that the government would exercise greater care in future advertisements, particularly when religious and cultural imagery is involved.
The controversy comes as the BJP-led state government prepares to organise Durga Puja celebrations for the first time since taking office. The government has announced several programmes around the festival, making the advertisement error particularly sensitive.
With the Chief Minister’s public apology, the administration has attempted to draw a line under the dispute. The incident, however, has highlighted the political sensitivity surrounding the use of religious and cultural symbols in official government communication in Bengal.
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