NEW DELHI: A political storm has erupted within the Bengal BJP after senior leader and former state president Dilip Ghosh attended the inauguration of the Jagannath Dham temple in Digha along with his wife and met chief minister Mamata Banerjee. His presence at the event and praise for the TMC supremo have sparked strong reactions within the BJP, with now Swapan Dasgupta calling the move a “betrayal”.
“The outrage among grassroots BJP Bengal workers at this apparent betrayal by a former state president is too deafening for the national leadership to ignore,” Dasgupta wrote on X.
The controversy comes at a time when BJP is actively trying to push Mamata Banerjee in a corner over Murshidabad communal violence. Ghosh attended the temple event on Wednesday and later spoke with Banerjee, pictures and videos of which have been widely shared on social media.
On the other hand, leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari skipped the programme altogether, choosing instead to address a religious gathering in Contai, just a few kilometres away from Digha. Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar distanced the party from Ghosh’s actions, calling his visit a “personal decision” that the party did not endorse.
Ghosh, who visited the temple with his wife, said there was no party directive barring attendance, and even if there had been, he would not have followed it. “I like to visit temples, and the party cannot bar me from paying tribute to Lord Jagannath. Even if there was any whip, I would not have paid heed to it,” he said. He also described the state government’s invitation as an “honour” and said that temple visits were part of Hindu cultural life.
In contrast, Majumdar pointed to the recent violence in Murshidabad, saying the BJP had collectively decided not to attend the temple’s inauguration in protest. Adhikari declined to comment directly on Ghosh, stating only that he responds to remarks or actions by Mamata Banerjee.
The divergence in approaches has led to criticism from some party leaders, including MP Saumitra Khan, who took to social media to attack Ghosh’s decision. Now Swapan Dasgupta has also joined the chorus against Ghosh.