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Kolkata: In a major embarrassment for the BJP, a West Bengal government advertisement published in newspapers across the state on Monday showed Goddess Durga with 11 arms.

Goddess Durga is worshipped in her Dashabhuja (ten arms) form as per sacred Hindu texts.

However, an advertisement by the Department of Information and Cultural Affairs, highlighting a preparatory and coordination meeting with Puja committees ahead of next month’s Durga Puja 2026, shows the goddess with eleven arms.

Samik Bhattacharya, the president of West Bengal’s BJP unit, sought to play down the blunder, which has triggered massive backlash, with humour.

“Ma Durga has become even more powerful,” he said.

“The mistake made by an agency is not a political issue, it will be rectified,” Samik added.

The saffron party did not repeat that mistake at the meeting in the evening, chaired by chief minister Suvendu Adhikari. Ma Durga’s image on the background hoarding had the normal 10 arms.

Suvendu apologised, saying those responsible for the advertisement have been cautioned.

“First of all, as the chief minister of the state, I apologise. A defective advertisement was published this morning. I apologise for that. Those who issued the defective advertisement have been cautioned. The government will be more careful about such matters in future.”

The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) did not miss the opportunity to take a dig at the BJP for the erroneous ad.

“So now, according to the @BJP4Bengal government, Maa Durga has 11 hands? From their leaders to the Chief Minister, this repeated mishandling of Maa Durga and Bengal’s cultural traditions is deeply insulting!” the party posted on its official X handle.

Trinamool MLA Kunal Ghosh also took to social media to make a sarcastic comment on the advertisement.

“No themes allowed, no distortions permitted… I witnessed a barrage of threats and strict enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct. Yet, how did ‘Ma’ end up with 11 arms in a government advertisement? According to which scripture did Dashabhuja (the ten-armed one) transform into Ekadash-bhuja (the eleven-armed one) for 2026?” Kunal wrote on X.

CPM leader Shatarup Ghosh shared the image of the advertisement with a scathing remark.

“A wonderful government advertisement! Here, Ma Durga has eleven arms. The gods had bestowed weapons upon Durga in ten hands to slay the Asura (demon). Meanwhile, the BJP government has gifted the deity an extra arm,” he wrote.