Durga Puja Stampede: Major Challenge for CM Suvendu Adhikari
Five months after taking charge as West Bengal Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari is facing his first major administrative and political crisis following the stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata. The tragedy has raised questions over crowd control, public safety arrangements and the administration’s preparedness for one of Bengal’s largest annual festivals. At least 19 people died and 25 others were injured when the crowd surged at Chorbagan on the evening of October 17, the first of the two Saptami days in the 2026 Durga Puja calendar. The incident occurred in an area marked by narrow…