A video of Mamata Banerjee offering flowers to Goddess Kali during Kali Puja celebrations in Kolkata has become a political controversy on social media.
The video (which went viral on November 9, 2026) shows TMC leader performing a religious ritual at her residence in Kalighat but the way she offered flowers to the deity has been criticised by political opponents.
In the video Banerjee can be seen raising her hand and throwing flowers at the idol of Goddess Kali. Online critics said that it looked as if they were being thrown rather than respectfully offered as part of the traditional ritual.
The BJP was among the first political organisations to react to the footage. In a post on social media platform X, the party said Banerjee should offer flowers to deities with devotion and reverence instead of throwing them at them.
The BJP also asked whether the gesture was ignorance or arrogance and that it showed a lack of respect for Hindu traditions. The party’s comments were soon picked up by media which gave what had been a religious ceremony a political dimension.
Former BJP leader Anupam Hazra also joined the criticism. He shared his reaction to the viral footage and sarcastically said Banerjee took part in religious ritual. His comments added fuel to online debate about the incident.
Mamata Banerjee 'THROWING' flowers on Devi Maa during Kali Puja in Kolkata https://t.co/GejYevsdMP
— The Analyzer (News Updates🗞️) (@Indian_Analyzer) November 9, 2026
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was also reportedly critical of the controversy and said Banerjee should learn how to offer flowers during worship.
The incident has been met with mixed reactions on social media. Some supported the criticism and questioned how the flowers were offered; others said a short video clip shouldn’t be used to judge someone’s religious beliefs or devotion.
The controversy comes during Kali Puja celebrations in West Bengal (especially Kolkata) where the festival is culturally and religiously important. Thousands of devotees throng temples and community pandals to pray to Goddess Kali.
Banerjee has been organizing Kali Puja at her house in Kalighat for several decades. It is one of her personal and family traditions for years. The puja was started in 1978 and entered its 49th year in 2026.
She has also been linked with personally preparing bhog for the deity during celebrations. The political controversy surrounding the viral video did not take away from the annual religious event and public attention.
The latest episode has once again shown how moments with political leaders can quickly become fodder for public debate (when religion and politics mix).
As the video goes viral on social media, the debate around Banerjee’s flower-offering gesture has gone beyond religion and political parties to social media users as well. Political parties and social media users have sharply different opinions on it.
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