Take permission before idol immersion on Muharram: WB govt to organisers

A day after the Calcutta High Court allowed Durga idol immersions on all days from Vijaya Dashami on September 30, the West Bengal government today decided that the police will ask puja organisers to take permission for immersion on Muharram on October 1.

At a meeting of top officials presided over by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, it was decided that the police would ask the puja organisers to take permission by this Sunday, a senior state government official said.

The meeting, also attended by some ministers and senior police officers, including the state director general of police (DGP), decided that the superintendents of police (SPs) in the districts having international border would be put on alert on immersion days to avoid any untoward incident, the official said.

The state government had earlier imposed restrictions on immersions after 10 pm on Vijay Dashami (Dussehra) on September 30 and had said that no immersion would be allowed on Muharram scheduled to be observed on October 1.