By Nidhi Jacob
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a recent speech at Serampore, West Bengal, claimed that the state’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refuses to grant holidays for Durga Puja but allocates holidays for Muslims during Ramzan.
Shah’s claim is false. BOOM found that the West Bengal government grants holidays not only for Durga Puja but for other religious occasions as well.
At the 18:14 timestamp, Shah states, “[Mamata Banerjee] opposes the Ram Mandir. She does not give permission for Durga Visarjan but gives holidays for Muslim workers on Ramzan. We do not have a problem with that, give holidays if you wish. But we want an answer as to why you don’t grant holidays for our Durga Puja as well? Why this discrimination?”
This is not the first time Shah or a leader from the ruling regime has made communally charged statements. Previously, in Chhattisgarh, Shah misleadingly accused the Congress party of including wealth redistribution statements to Muslim communities in their manifesto. Similarly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Rajasthan, claimed that the Congress party would conduct a comprehensive survey of all assets in the country, including the gold owned by women, with the intention of redistributing assets equally among the Muslim community. However, BOOM found that the manifesto only suggests a need for policy assessment rather than outlining specific wealth redistribution plans.
Fact-check
To verify the claim, BOOM checked the West Bengal government’s Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department and found that holidays are granted not only for Durga Puja but for other religious occasions as well.
As per the official website of the finance department, public holidays fall under two lists: List-I (Public Holidays in 2024 under the N. I. Act) and List-II (Holidays under the order of State Government in 2024).
As per List-I, in 2024, there are government holidays for Durga Puja, Maha Saptami on October 10 (Thursday), Durga Puja, Maha Astami and Maha Nabam on October 11 (Friday) and Durga Puja, Dasami on October 12 (Saturday).
In List- II, holidays are granted under the order of the state government. Under this list, Durga Puja holidays are between October 7 and 9 and additional holidays are granted on October 14 and 15.
Moreover, the notification also states that “the offices under the Government of West Bengal with the exception of the offices of the Registrar of Assurances, Kolkata and Collector of the Stamp Revenue, Kolkata shall be closed on the days as specified at List II below which are not declared to be public holidays, during the year 2024.”
Aside from these, the West Bengal government follows public holidays that include Good Friday, Eid-UI-Fitr, Id-Ud-Zoha (Bakrid), Muharram and Christmas.
In 2017, the dates of Durga immersion and Muharram had coincided. The West Bengal government had disallowed Durga immersion on the day of Muharram, despite the state's High Court ruling that allowed both the immersion and the Muharram procession to take place on the same day, provided they followed different routes and ensured peace.
"On Vijaya Dashami, immersion has to end by 6 PM as Muhurram processions will be taken out after that. If both happen together at the same time, there may be problems. I am seeking your cooperation on this. Some people will try to bank on this opportunity and create all kinds of provocation, using Hindus and Muslims as tools," India Today quoted Banerjee saying. Further, in a tweet she said, "Except for a 24-hour period on the day of Muharram, immersions can take place on October 2, 3 and 4."
India Today further reported that even in 2016, the West Bengal government had issued restrictions on idol immersion, with Vijaya Dashami being celebrated just a day ahead of Muharram.
