The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sharply criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her decision to allocate Rs 1.1 lakh grants to community Durga Pujas, labeling it as “politics of religion.” BJP state general secretary and Asansol South MLA Agnimitra Paul accused the Trinamool Congress government of prioritizing religious handouts over essential development initiatives.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Paul argued that constructing temples and funding pujas should not be a government’s focus. “Instead of improving roads or creating jobs, Mamata Banerjee is engaging in religious politics,” she said. Paul warned that such moves could prompt other communities to demand similar funding for their places of worship, citing the Jagannath temple in Digha as an example.

The fashion designer-turned-politician emphasized that the BJP supports inclusive development, focusing on education, employment, and uplifting all citizens regardless of religion, rather than what she described as divisive religious appeasement by the state government.

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