Five months after Suvendu Adhikari became Chief Minister of West Bengal, he is facing his first major challenge in the state. The tragedy at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata has raised serious questions about crowd management, public safety, and the administration's preparedness for one of Bengal's biggest annual festivals.
The incident was a major fiasco. Almost immediately, questions arose about what preventive measures had been taken to control the crowds. Crowd management is crucial during Durga Puja, when thousands of people visit pandals across Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal. The scale of this tragedy has made it particularly distressing. According to reports, at least 19 people died, and 25 others were injured in the stampede at Chorbagan on the evening of October 17, the first of the two Saptami days in the 2026 Durga Puja calendar.
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The immediate question being asked is: who is responsible? This is especially significant during the present Durga Puja celebrations because the new government had taken a particular interest in the festival and had initiated changes in the way several puja committees were managed. Some committees previously associated with Trinamool Congress leaders and ministers were sidelined or reorganised, while new teams associated with the BJP came to the forefront.
BJP's Puja Push
Coincidentally, Union Home Minister Amit Shah was in Kolkata at the same time. His schedule had included a visit to Palermath, as well as visits to and inaugurations of several Durga Puja pandals, including Shobhabazar Rajbari. The broader political objective was to connect with the Bengali cultural identity and the social traditions associated with Durga Puja.
However, another incident had occurred the previous day involving a book stall organised by the CPI(M). There was a bulldozer operation, and footage circulated showing people trying to handle or retrieve books. The precise circumstances surrounding that incident require clarification, but it had already become a matter of political controversy.
Following the Chorbagan stampede, Suvendu Adhikari spoke to Amit Shah, who cancelled his scheduled programmes and expressed his grief over the incident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced compensation, as did the state government. Adhikari also went to the hospital, met the families of the victims, and blamed the tragedy on the callousness of the organisers. He appealed to Durga Puja organisers across Kolkata to take all necessary precautions to ensure public safety. He described the incident as painful and extremely heartbreaking. He said that he had spoken to a sitting judge and would arrange for an inquiry into the incident. This was one of the first steps announced in response to the tragedy.
The second major issue concerns the police investigation. Why should the police make definitive statements before examining the available footage? The CCTV recordings must be studied carefully. They should establish who was present, including whether the Police Commissioner was at the site, who was responsible for particular arrangements, and what happened at each stage of the incident. The footage will be important in reconstructing the sequence of events and determining responsibility.
What Went Wrong at Chorbagan?
The central issue is the management of the enormous crowds that gather at popular Durga Puja pandals. Chorbagan is situated in an area of Kolkata known for its narrow lanes. Managing large numbers of visitors in such a location requires careful planning, adequate police deployment, clear entry and exit routes, trained volunteers, and readily available emergency services.
According to accounts of the incident, several layers of police personnel were involved in managing the situation. The officer in charge of the local police station arrived with a team, followed by the local police leadership and, subsequently, senior officers, including the police commissioner. Yet the presence of senior officials did not prevent the disaster. The crowd had gathered along the narrow Radha Madhab Shah Lane, waiting to enter the pandal. After 7 pm, when the rain began, the crowd suddenly surged forward. Rain had been forecast, so precautionary measures should have been taken in advance. An announcement reportedly added to the confusion.
This sequence of events raises serious questions about the communication system, the management of entry and exit points, and the organisers' preparedness for a sudden change in weather. It also highlights the importance of ensuring that announcements made during an emergency are accurate and do not aggravate panic. The Chorbagan pandal was subsequently closed.
A second potential tragedy was narrowly avoided on Saturday evening at Chetla Agrani. There, the organisers reportedly recognised that the crowd was surging and acted in time to stop further entry and evacuate those already inside. Several other major crowd-pulling Durga Puja venues, including Tala Prattoy, College Square and Mohammed Ali Park, were also closed as a precautionary measure. These closures reflected the authorities' concern that similar crowd surges could lead to further casualties. The repeated closure of major pujas was a reminder that public safety must take precedence over the continuation of festivities when crowd conditions become dangerous.
A Major Attraction Turned Into Huge Tragedy
The Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja, located in a part of Kolkata notorious for its narrow lanes, is a major attraction every year. Situated near a Ram Mandir, the puja was celebrating its 91st year in 2026. It had been drawing large crowds since the pandal was inaugurated on October 12.
This year's theme was 'Beyond Sound'. The pandal was designed around the Durga idol, with an elevated, gallery-like structure that allowed visitors to view the deity from different angles. The design offered a 360-degree viewing experience and was a major reason for the public interest in the installation.
Visitors were also coming from Hooghly, Bardhaman, Medinipur, and several other places. The campaign around the pandal had encouraged people from different parts of the state to visit it, contributing to the large crowds.
The pandal's popularity made careful crowd management even more important. Its location, the volume of visitors, and the restricted space around the entrance and exit should all have been taken into account when planning security arrangements.
Another important issue is the reported use of VIP passes. According to the account, a narrow internal passage had been created within the pandal, and a separate arrangement was made for VIP visitors. A substantial number of VIP passes had reportedly been issued, although the exact number was not known at the time.
Accounts suggest the fire brigade personnel arrived at a later stage, followed by senior Kolkata Police officials, including a joint commissioner from headquarters. These details must be verified through the investigation, but they raise an important question: were the arrangements in place from the beginning, or did the response become more organised only after the situation had deteriorated?
Political Responsibility and Allegations
For Suvendu Adhikari, this is a major political and administrative challenge. He must ensure that the investigation is thorough and that appropriate action is taken against anyone found responsible.
The Opposition has already begun a political campaign around the incident. Adhikari, meanwhile, has said that there will be no compromise on the matter and that appropriate arrangements will be made to ensure accountability. Some members of the Chore Bagan Sarbojanin Durgatsav Samity, the management committee, have been arrested. One account says that some of those concerned were absconding and that one person sought shelter at Girish Park police station. Trinamool Congress (Mamata Banerjee faction) leader Kunal Ghosh has also raised questions about the police and the impartiality of the authorities.
The political controversy, however, should not be allowed to overshadow the immediate needs of the injured and the families who have lost loved ones.
Suvendu Adhikari has said that he does not want the incident to become an occasion for political confrontation. Nevertheless, the tragedy has created a serious challenge for his government, and the manner in which he responds will be closely watched.
A Test of Crisis Management
The tragedy is not simply a question of how a single puja committee organised its festival. It is also a test of the administration's ability to anticipate risks and respond effectively when a large public gathering becomes dangerous.
Kolkata is a city accustomed to large public gatherings and major cultural events. Generally, as a precaution, police stations collect information and also visit the pandals to check the structure, as do civic officials, before and in the middle of the puja.
The question now is not merely how the government will respond to the immediate crisis but how effectively it will prevent a similar tragedy in the future.
