DIGHA, 14 July – A lightning strike during heavy rains on Sunday morning set ablaze the ceremonial flag atop the Jagannath Cultural Centre temple in the coastal town of Digha, West Bengal, triggering a political and religious row.
Eastern Midnapore district, including Digha, has been experiencing intense rain and thunderstorms since early morning. The lightning struck amid the downpour, damaging the sacred flagpole of the seaside temple. West Bengal’s Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, reacted sharply to the incident, alleging religious impropriety and political misuse of faith. In a post on social media, Adhikari claimed that “divine displeasure” may have caused the lightning strike, citing what he described as repeated violations of religious norms at the temple. He accused the state government of politicizing religion, allowing non-Hindus unrestricted access to the temple premises, conducting rituals improperly, and desecrating religious items such as walking over the Rath Yatra ropes with shoes. “For political appeasement, they are using Mahaprabhu Jagannath, and that is unacceptable. But as the saying goes, ‘Chakshu Aankhi Sab Dekhuchi’ (The Lord sees everything),” Adhikari wrote. His remarks sparked fresh debate, especially after Rajesh Dwaitapati, a servitor from the Jagannath Temple in Puri, echoed some of the concerns. “Ritual disruptions could indeed lead to such incidents,” Dwaitapati said. “If the temple protocols were not followed properly, that may have contributed. We are looking into all aspects.” While there has been no official response yet from the West Bengal government, the incident has reignited the ongoing discourse around the intersection of faith and politics in the state, particularly in religious festivals and temple administration. The damaged flagpole is expected to be restored soon, temple authorities said, adding that no injuries were reported in the incident. An inquiry into the lightning strike and associated claims is likely, amid calls from religious groups for stricter adherence to temple customs.
