BJP’s ‘Islamic Caliphate’ barb amid Kolkata holiday row, municipality clarifies

After a vacation was announced in Kolkata’s Hindi-medium KMCP schools, a political dispute broke out in Bengal. Amit Malviya, the chairman of the BJP’s IT unit, posted the announcement, which said that there would be no break for Vishwakarma Puja since the school holiday for Eid-ul-Fitar would last for two days. The notification was sent “without obtaining any concurrence from the competent authority” of the civic body, according to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), which has now clarified that a corrigendum was issued right away.

“It has come to the notice of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation that a memorandum regarding the holiday list for Hindi Medium KMCP Schools was issued without obtaining any concurrence from the competent authority of KMC. A corrigendum was issued immediately cancelling the original memorandum that had typographical mistakes. (The) KMC clarifies that the original memorandum stands cancelled as it was issued without KMC authority’s permission,” a statement by the KMC read.

A revised order on the school holidays will soon be issued according to the Bengal government’s holiday list “as per extant norm”, the statement said. “We request everyone to refrain from any speculation or spreading any misinformation,” the KMC said.

Sandipan Saha, a Trinamool Congress Councillor at the Kolkata Municipality, said that the decision was not that of the civic body, and the manager issued it without any approval and disciplinary action will be taken against him.

“This is not meant to appease anyone. It is not KMC’s decision. The manager issued this without any approval, and it has been cancelled. It was not within his jurisdiction. He has been issued a show-cause notice, and disciplinary action will be taken against him,” he said.

The councillor further added that the municipal body’s holidays are aligned with those declared by the state government. “We can’t grant holidays, and we can’t cancel them. So how can one manager do so? If a holiday has to be declared, it must be done by the West Bengal government, and we will follow,” he said.

The Trinamool leader also accused the BJP of trying to politicise the matter, saying, “Mamata Banerjee doesn’t need to appease any community. People are with Mamata Banerjee. The latest results of the 2024 elections, where we won 29 seats, are a testament to the fact that Mamata Banerjee enjoys massive public support”.

BJP’s Amit Malviya, meanwhile, slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal government, calling it the “Islamic Caliphate”.

“Firhad Hakim, Mamata Banerjee’s close aide and a modern-day Suhrawardy, has ordered the scrapping of a holiday in Kolkata Municipal Corporation schools for Vishwakarma Puja—an occasion of great significance for Hindus, particularly the dominant OBCs—and instead allocated it for Eid-ul-Fitr, extending the holiday from one day to two,” he tweeted.

Calling out the Bengal Chief Minister’s “Muslim appeasement” politics, the BJP leader alleged that the vote bank she once “took for granted is slipping”.

“This not only exposes Mamata Banerjee’s anti-OBC mindset but also confirms her nervousness. She knows the Muslim vote bank she once took for granted is slipping, even in the Greater Kolkata Region. What she doesn’t understand is that Muslims don’t need endless holidays—they need education and employment. An additional day off means a loss of daily wages for Muslims, most of whom work as casual labourers in Bengal. It also deprives Hindus of their rightful observances,” Malviya tweeted.

Calling out the Bengal Chief Minister’s “Muslim appeasement” politics, the BJP leader alleged that the vote bank she once “took for granted is slipping”.

“This not only exposes Mamata Banerjee’s anti-OBC mindset but also confirms her nervousness. She knows the Muslim vote bank she once took for granted is slipping, even in the Greater Kolkata Region. What she doesn’t understand is that Muslims don’t need endless holidays—they need education and employment. An additional day off means a loss of daily wages for Muslims, most of whom work as casual labourers in Bengal. It also deprives Hindus of their rightful observances,” Malviya tweeted.