Mamata Banerjee Lays Durga Angan Stone, Defends Secularism Amid BJP Criticism

Addressing the gathering, CM Mamata Banerjee said, "Today's program is dedicated to Bengal and the people of Bengal. Thank you all for coming here from different parts of society. Today is a historic day; the tender process for Durga Angan has been completed. We hope that the work will begin very soon. We have formed a trust for Durga Angan. We will ensure that employment opportunities increase after Durga Angan is built."

She said that Durga Angan was necessary because, following the honour received from UNESCO, it was necessary to preserve the respect and to showcase the heritage, Durga Angan will be open for 365 days.

CM Mamata Banerjee said, "Many people have said that I am engaging in appeasement, but I am secular and believe in all religions. I love Bengal, I love India. We love all castes, all religions; that is our ideology. Every person has their democratic right... I was trying to get the central government to build a bridge at Gangasagar, but now I will build it myself. I will lay the foundation stone on January 5th and the bridge will be ready for the public within the next two years. In the second week of January, we are going to lay the foundation stone for the Mahakal Temple in Siliguri." Mamata Banerjee further said, "This area is 17.28 acres. This is close to the Airport, Salt Lake. Nearly 1 lakh devotees can come in a day. Various cultural programmes will be held here. Many employment will be generated here. When Durga Puja is inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, then it was decided that Durga Angan would become Bengal's focal point for cultural and spiritual heritage. The work will be started from today itself by the creators of Jagannath Dham."

She said that the complex would be so big that 1000 people can sit on the central courtyard.

"It will have 1008 pillars. There will be a Garbha Griha, which will be 54 metres high. There will be statues of 108 gods and goddesses. It will also have a cultural museum. It will have more than 300 trees. In 2025, West Bengal is second rank in the country in number of foreign tourists visiting any state and in 2026, it will become rank 1. This year, till October 24 crore 24 lakh tourists have visited the state. During Durga Puja, the trade is worth 70 to 80 thousand crore," she said.

She further stated that in the second week of January, the Mahakaal temple will be inaugurated.

"First, we built the skywalk in Dakshineswar. Additionally, Rs 100 crore was given for development. We also built the light and sound system there. We have built the skywalk in Kalighat. We have beautified the Kapil Muni ashram in Gangasagar. The entire cost of the Gangasagar mela is borne by us. I tried for 12 years, waiting for the central government to build a bridge there. We have allocated Rs 1,700 crore to build a bridge in Gangasagar. In the next two years, no one will need to face the trouble of crossing the waters to reach Gangasagar. L&T has received the tender, and on the coming 5th, I will lay the foundation stone," she added.

She said that 700 acres of land has been given to ISKCON.

- ANI