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West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Samik Bhattacharya gave a statement which sparked controversy. On Sunday, he appealed for unity while remembering the Kolkata communal riots of 1947. He mentioned the role of non-Bengali people in the communal riots of 1947. Samik Bhattacharya told that in 1947, Gupta and Jaiswal communities supported the Bengalis during the riots and saved the people. Controversy arose regarding this statement, where the Congress Party described Samik Bhattacharya's statements as politically motivated. Also, All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) also raised questions on this statement.

On September 6, Samik Bhattacharya had gone to the Khunti Puja ceremony in Bahubazar, Kolkata. Where he mentioned the communal riots of 1947. Due to which there was a stir in the political circles. Now the question arises that what did Samik Bhattacharya say during the function, after which Congress and Trinamool Party raised questions on him.

What did Samik Bhattacharya say?

During the function, Samik Bhattacharya said, 'Standing in North Kolkata, one thing must be said. Had the Gupta and Jaiswal families not been here and had they not invested all their wealth in providing the iron needed to make swords, the genteel and aristocratic Bengali people of North Kolkata that we see today would not have existed.

Along with this, Samik Bhattacharya alleged that in the last few years, Durga Puja has been 'in serious trouble' in the areas of Bengal bordering Bangladesh. He also mentioned the death of Murshidabad-based sculptor father and son Hargobind Das and Chandan Das, who were allegedly killed because of their talent in making sculptures of Kali, Saraswati and Lakshmi.

Trinamool Party made allegations

After hearing the statement of Samik Bhattacharya, Trinamool Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh made the allegation. He said that Samik insulted Bengalis. Kunal also claimed that Bengalis have their own tradition, history of freedom struggle and distinct identity. Apart from this, Congress President Subhankar Sarkar said that such statements will harm the heritage of Kolkata.