Poster banning celebration with colours at Shantiniketan sparks quarrel between TMC, BJP
Kolkata: A social media post of a photo of a poster banning celebration with colours at Rabindranath Tagore’s residence, Shantiniketan, has given rise to a battle of words between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the backdrop of Holi.
The poster, which in Bengali, states, “Reserved forest area: Playing with colours, car parking, videography and drone camera usage are prohibited.”
While the BJP has expressed ire, stating the TMC has banned celebrations at Sonajhuri Haat, the government has insisted that it only aims at preserving greenery, reports NDTV.
Leader of the Opposition in Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has accused the government of attempting to appease certain communities repeatedly while stopping Hindus from celebrating their festivals. Pointing out that Holi was being celebrated in the month of Ramadan, which was special for one community, and that the festival occurred on a Friday, he said that, for the first time, meetings were held this year at every police station for Holi. In addition, the BJP leader accused the police of declaring openly that Holi should not be celebrated and colours should not be used, adding that the police had threatened to arrest people who violated the instructions.
The State Forest Minister Birbaha Hansda, however, has denied the charges of the BJP, and clarified that there are no restrictions on playing Holi at Sonajhuri.
Further, she accused the BJP of trying to politicize the matter, stating that the government was requesting the people to preserve nature. “There is no restriction and if anyone wants to play Holi, they can. The BJP is doing this as it has no other issue but to do politics,” the minister stated.
Hansda said that he had sought a report from the District Forest Officer and that an enquiry on the matter underway.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
