The Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), reported a series of attacks on left-wing bookstalls during the Durga Puja festival in West Bengal, raising concerns about the safety of political and cultural activities in public spaces.
CPI(M) condemns attacks on left-wing bookstalls and stampede at festival
According to a report published by The Indian Express on 18 October 2026, several bookstalls associated with the Left were targeted during the festival. One of the latest incidents described in the report took place on Friday night, when a group of masked men allegedly vandalised bookstalls along Grand Trunk Road in Bardhaman.
CPI(M) West Bengal state secretary Mohammed Salim said that attacks had occurred in several locations. The party stated that it had requested police protection for its bookstalls in advance, but the incidents nevertheless took place.
The incidents extended beyond Bardhaman. The controversy included allegations of vandalism and obstruction at Left-wing bookstalls in several areas, with the CPI(M) describing the attacks as an attempt to disrupt its political and cultural presence during the festival.
The attacks also drew criticism from other political figures. Trinamool Congress MLA Kunal Ghosh condemned the violence, while West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya denied that his party had directed the attacks and called for those responsible to be reported to the police. Salim acknowledged that the party’s bookstalls had faced hostility under previous Trinamool Congress governments as well, but argued that the scale of the current incidents was unprecedented.
For the CPI(M), the controversy raises questions about the ability of political organisations to conduct public cultural and political activities without intimidation. Its bookstalls are a regular feature of Durga Puja, offering political literature alongside the festival’s wider cultural activities.
CPI(M) condemns Kolkata stampede and demands accountability
The CPI(M) Polit Bureau expressed condolences to the families of those killed in the stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata. The incident occurred on Friday night, 16 October, and reports published on Sunday described the party's response.
The party criticised the West Bengal government over crowd management, safety arrangements and medical treatment for the injured. It alleged that the authorities had prioritised the interests of a privately run hospital over the treatment facilities available at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital.
The CPI(M) also accused the ruling dispensation of taking control of the Puja committee in July, disrupting established organisational practices and contributing to inadequate preparations for crowd management. It demanded that those responsible be held accountable, including police and civic authorities.
The statement further emphasised that police and municipal resources had been deployed to obstruct progressive bookstalls and provide security for VIPs instead of adequately protecting festival visitors. The party argued that the tragedy exposed the consequences of political interference in organising a major public gathering.