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West Bengal Congress Leaders Arrested Over Bageshwar Baba Remarks

By Drooid · Sep 14, 2026, 10:58 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

West Bengal Congress leaders were arrested for protesting Bageshwar Baba’s anti-non-vegetarian remarks during Durga Puja.
Ashutosh Chatterjee was summoned on September 13 to appear before police over the alleged photo burning.
Atanu Das was arrested around midnight on September 8 after filing a complaint against Dhirendra Krishna Shastri.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari ordered arrests of anyone burning Shastri’s photograph as intolerable.

History

Historical Context

The 1975-1977 Emergency, declared by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, suspended civil liberties and saw 34,988 arrests under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act, including opposition leader Jayaprakash Narayan. Today, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s detention of activist Ashutosh Chatterjee and others revives that emergency-style crackdown, raising fresh concerns over India’s democratic resilience.

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Story summary

West Bengal Congress leaders were arrested for protesting Bageshwar Baba’s anti-non-vegetarian remarks during Durga Puja.
Ashutosh Chatterjee was summoned on September 13 to appear before police over the alleged photo burning.
Atanu Das was arrested around midnight on September 8 after filing a complaint against Dhirendra Krishna Shastri.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari ordered arrests of anyone burning Shastri’s photograph as intolerable.

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