Kolkata, 18 October 2026: Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached Apollo Hospital here on Sunday to meet the people injured in the massacre that took place at the Durga Puja Pandal in North Kolkata's Chorbagan area. On Saturday evening, amidst the rain, the crowd at the Durga Puja pandal suddenly swelled and there was chaos, in which 19 people died and more than 25 were injured.
The Home Minister met the injured and inquired about their condition and also talked to the doctors regarding their health. Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) and Suvendu Adhikari were also present with him. Before meeting the injured, the Home Minister along with the Chief Minister and Suvendu Adhikari visited the spot at the puja pandal in Chorbagan to take stock of the situation.
That morning, the Home Minister had visited the Kalighat temple to offer prayers. It is noteworthy that Shah, who reached Kolkata on Saturday night, had canceled all his scheduled programs after this incident, which also included visiting Belur Math in Howrah and various Durga Puja pandals.
As per Shah's pre-planned programme, he was to visit the headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission at Belur Math on Sunday morning and then attend various Durga Puja programs in Howrah and Kolkata during the day.
He was also to participate in the celebrations of Durga Puja at Shobhabazar Rajbari in North Kolkata. Durga Puja has been organized in Shobhabazar Rajbari for more than 250 years. Rajbari is a royal palace, where the descendants of King Nabakrishna Deb live. Shah is to return to Delhi in the afternoon.
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