Bengal BJP leaders clash with Adhikari, back Left’s Puja bookstall rights

West Bengal BJP functionaries publicly disagreed with senior leader Sukanta Adhikari over his criticism of Left parties setting up Puja bookstalls during the festive season. While Adhikari had suggested that the stalls represented a political maneuver, several BJP members in the state asserted that the Right to conduct religious‑cultural commerce should not be politicised.

The dissenting leaders emphasized that the Left’s ability to run bookstalls is protected under existing regulations governing market stalls and that any attempt to curtail it would infringe on constitutional freedoms. Their statements were issued through a joint press release and reiterated in a brief gathering of party workers.

Political analysts note that the intra‑party disagreement highlights the delicate balance BJP seeks in West Bengal, where cultural events often intersect with electoral calculations. The episode underscores the party’s effort to avoid alienating voters who participate in traditional Puja markets, even as it navigates internal differences on strategy.