FIR against TMC's Mamata Banerjee for terming Sanatan Dharma 'Ganda Dharm' at Eid-ul-Fitr event, details

On Tuesday, May 26, Siliguri Cyber Crime Police Station registered an FIR against former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee based on a complaint accusing her of hurting Hindu sentiments with a March 31, 2025, speech at a Kolkata Eid-ul-Fitr event. She had said she follows the faith of Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Swami Vivekananda, not the 'ganda dharm' pushed by the 'jumla' BJP, targeting what she saw as their fabricated religion.

 

 

The complaint, refiled by advocate Rinki Chatterjee Singh on May 20, after the BJP's April 2026 assembly election win that ousted TMC after 15 years, cites laws on outraging religious feelings, defamation, and promoting enmity. Banerjee's party has yet to respond officially, as the case underscores ongoing religious tensions in Bengal politics.

 

The complainant states that Banerjee made two statements that severely damaged the sensibilities and beliefs of millions of Sanatani Hindus across India and the world, one at a religious gathering in 2025 and another at a Dharmatala demonstration before the Assembly elections. According to a senior police officer, the attorney has also claimed that the remarks were offensive and unlawful.

 

 

Banerjee "had stated that a particular community could 'finish off' others within five minutes if it wished," according to the complainant. It is unreasonable to expect someone with a constitutional position to make such remarks. She had also stated that she would never believe in Hindu Dharma and claimed that it was created by the BJP, which she referred to as the Jumla party.