The political temperature has risen sharply ahead of Trinamool Congress (TMC) All India General Secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee’s proposed visit to Thakurbari, the ancestral home of the Thakur family and a key religious centre of the Matua community.
Abhishek is scheduled to visit the Matua stronghold on January 9, but the announcement has triggered strong reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), particularly Union Minister and Bongaon MP Shantanu Thakur.
Issuing a stern warning, Thakur said that Abhishek would not be allowed to offer prayers at Thakurbari if he arrived with a large security contingent. He stated that while anyone is free to visit Thakurbari, Abhishek’s arrival with a heavy police presence would amount to a show of strength rather than a religious visit. Thakur warned that such a move would provoke protests, with thousands of Matua followers expected to gather and take out marches.
The Union Minister questioned the timing of Abhishek’s visit, saying it was unnecessary to visit Thakurbari just ahead of elections. He added that Abhishek should come with a devout heart, offer prayers, and leave, without making political statements or discussing family matters. He further said that a gathering would be held at Thakurbari and that the Matua community would closely observe Abhishek’s intentions before deciding on any course of action.
Abhishek’s visit to the Matuas’ religious headquarters is being seen as politically significant in the backdrop of anxiety within the community, largely comprising Hindu refugees from Bangladesh, triggered by the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list. The BJP has made significant inroads into Matua-dominated areas since the 2019 general elections by promising citizenship, and with the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections approaching, the ruling TMC is believed to be attempting to make inroads into the BJP’s Matua vote base. The community is considered decisive in at least 70 of the state’s 294 Assembly constituencies.
Tensions over Abhishek’s visit are not unprecedented. In 2023, his visit to Thakurbari had sparked massive protests even before he could enter the premises. The main temple was closed, black flags were waved, and slogans such as “thief, thief” were raised. At the time, Shantanu Thakur had also opposed the visit, and police personnel who went to assess security arrangements were reportedly turned away.
Due to the closure of the main temple during the 2023 visit, Abhishek was unable to offer prayers there and instead visited a nearby temple. Reports later claimed that after his departure, the Thakurbari premises and surrounding areas were purified with cow dung and water.
Following that incident, Abhishek had hit out at the Union Minister, asserting that the temple was not anyone’s ancestral property and accusing Thakur of indulging in politics in the name of religion. He had said the people would give a fitting reply to such actions.
Two-and-a-half years after the controversial episode, fresh tension has once again surfaced around Abhishek’s proposed visit to the Thakur family’s ancestral home, with political observers closely watching developments in the run-up to the visit.
Also read: Abhishek to tour WB from Jan 2-22 for protecting voters’ rights
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