Dilip Ghosh faces backlash from party members over unsanctioned Digha visit

Former BJP state president Dilip Ghosh visited the newly built Jagannath Temple in Digha on Wednesday evening along with his wife Rinku Majumdar. The visit was made on the invitation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had inaugurated the temple earlier in the day. Ghosh arrived around 5:30 PM and was received by state minister Aroop Biswas and TMC leader Kunal Ghosh. After offering prayers, he proceeded to the Chief Minister’s guesthouse, where the two leaders were seen in a cordial interaction.

Mamata Banerjee, who had left Digha earlier to inspect the aftermath of a fire in Burrabazar, turned back midway after learning about Dilip Ghosh’s arrival. She returned to the temple complex and spent time with Ghosh. Visuals from the meeting show the two sitting together and speaking warmly, with Ghosh appreciating the temple's aesthetics and expressing that he was "overwhelmed." This marked their first face-to-face meeting since Ghosh’s wedding on April 18.

The visit was officially described as personal by Ghosh, but it triggered immediate reactions from within the BJP. State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said the party had decided that no BJP leader would attend the inauguration following incidents of violence and temple desecration in Malda and Murshidabad. “The party does not endorse Dilip Ghosh’s visit. He went there in his personal capacity,” Majumdar said. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, without naming Ghosh, remarked, “I don’t comment on anyone’s love, affection, or animosity. I only respond to Mamata Banerjee.”

BJP MP Soumitra Khan criticised Ghosh online, writing, “Dilip Ghosh is an example of turning from a renunciate to an indulgent.” He also drew parallels between Ghosh and former BJP leaders Babul Supriyo and Mukul Roy, who left the party. Former BJP national secretary Anupam Hazra commented, “Dilip da, you recently got married, now chill.” These remarks highlighted internal tensions within the party, especially between senior and younger leaders.

Photos from the meeting of CM Mamata and Dilip Ghosh quickly surfaced, leading to unrest within the BJP in Medinipur. Around 10 PM on Wednesday, a group of BJP workers and supporters protested at the party's district office in Medinipur, located at Sipahi Bazar. They locked the office gate and hung a garland of shoes on a photograph of Dilip Ghosh, calling him a "dalal" (agent). The protesters also locked the office door in anger. The protesters claimed that Ghosh’s actions proved he was working for the Trinamool Congress, citing his unilateral decision to travel to Digha and meet the Chief Minister without consulting the party. The demonstrators demanded that Ghosh be expelled from the party.

BJP district spokesperson Arup Das commented on the protests, saying, “I don’t know what happened at the party office. However, since this afternoon, I have been receiving calls from many workers who are upset about Dilip Ghosh attending the Jagannath Temple inauguration in Digha. Everyone is angry. It’s a personal matter where someone goes, but the state leadership had made it clear that the only approved event in Purba Medinipur was for the Leader of Opposition (Suvendu Adhikari). I don’t understand why Dilipda went to the Jagannath Temple instead.”

The backdrop to the controversy includes Ghosh’s wedding, where internal divisions in the BJP were already visible. Ghosh, who married Rinku Majumdar on April 18 at age 61, received wishes from Mamata Banerjee, although the two did not meet at the time. His presence at the temple inauguration, and the subsequent meeting with the Chief Minister, has widened existing rifts within the party. The BJP has not announced any disciplinary action, but multiple leaders have expressed public displeasure over the breach of party consensus.