Durga Puja and Kali Puja, two major festivals of the state, are over but puja subscription issues continue to linger.

In Cooch Behar, members of a Durga Puja coordination committee sat on a dharna in front of a shopping mall, alleging that the complex had failed to pay them puja subscription.

In Raiganj, a fast-food vendor was allegedly thrashed for failing to cough up more money for the Kali Puja organisers.

On Thursday, members of the Durga Puja coordination committee in Dinhata block of Cooch Behar sat down in front of the shopping mall at Chaorahat.

More than 30 puja organisers of Dinhata town and the nearby localities are members of the committee.

Madan Karmakar, an official of the coordination committee, said: “We are compelled to resort to this protest since the authority of this shopping mall, despite having a high volume of sales during the puja season, has kept the subscriptions of Durga puja due.”

The mall sells a variety of items.

“Although the other business organisations of the locality cleared their puja subscriptions, the shopping mall authority neither paid their subscriptions nor accepted our proposal to hold talks with us,” he said.

The demonstration which had started at 10am continued till 2pm.

“It was a symbolic protest. We would protest again if we do not get the subscription from the shopping mall,” a coordination committee member said.

The shopping mall authority, however, refrained from commenting on the protest. The owner of the shopping mall did not take phone calls from the media.

Police said the demonstration was peaceful. “We spoke to both sides. There would be a meeting between the shopping mall authority and the puja organisers. After an assurance from the shopping
mall, the demonstration was withdrawn,” a police officer said.

Naresh Sahani, a fast-food vendor, his spouse Fulmoni and son Abinash Sahani were allegedly thrashed by a section of the members of BPS Club located at Purba Netaji Pally area under the jurisdiction of Raiganj police station. The club had organised the Kali Puja on the premises.

The injured said they had already paid Rs 1000 for the temporary business on the club premises during the Kali puja.

“But on Wednesday evening, Bishu Sarkar, a member of the club, and a few others asked us to pay an additional amount of Rs 1,000. We are small vendors and when we cited our inability to pay those youths, most of whom were intoxicated, thrashed me, my wife and my son,” the vendor said.

Their temporary shop was allegedly ransacked, too. The three were taken to Raiganj Medical College and Hospital for treatment.

Later, they lodged a written complaint against a section of the puja organisers.

Police said the matter was being investigated.

The president of the BPS Club, Ratan Mazumder, tried to play down the incident.

“It was a trivial incident. There was a tiff between the egg roll seller and some of our members. During the altercation, the wife of the vendor suffered small injuries. We apologise for the undesired incident. I have already spoken to the vendor’s family members. The issue will be resolved,” he said.