Kolkata:The West Bengal administration on Friday said Durga Puja organisers will have to take permission from local police stations for immersion of idols on 1 October—the day Muslims are to observe Muharram.
The state will fully comply with Thursday’s verdict of the Calcutta high court, said Atri Bhattacharya, the state’s home secretary. But the verdict allows the administration to take “case-specific decisions” on whether to grant permission, he added.
Top police officers and bureaucrats on Friday met chief minister Mamata Banerjee, following which Surajit Kar Purkayastha, the director general of police, said the court verdict itself says the administration will allow immersion on 1 October if “permissible”.
Rajeev Kumar, the commissioner of Kolkata Police, said at least 2,600 community puja organisers have already obtained permission from the administration for immersion.
On Thursday, the Calcutta high court passed an interim order striking down restrictions imposed on immersion of Durga idols by the state administration on 1 October. The court asked the administration to specify separate routes for Muharram and immersion processions, and make necessary security arrangements if “immersion is found permissible”.