West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has refused to cancel Ganga Sagar Mela saying she cannot stop devotees and urged everyone to follow COVID-19 norms.

Asking everyone to behave responsibly in the Ganga Sagar Mela, she said, “I cannot stop the fair but people should be conscious.”

When asked if the state government was mulling any restrictions for the pilgrims coming to West Bengal to attend Ganga Sagar Mela, the chief minister said the congregation was of the common people.

‘Can’t stop anyone as Ganga Sagar belongs to everyone in the country’

“You don’t worry about Ganga Sagar. This is not mine, but a festival attended by people from across the country. How can I stop someone coming from UP or Bihar? I can’t stop anyone as Ganga Sagar belongs to everyone in the country,” Banerjee said.

On Thursday, the West Bengal Chief Minister had said there will be no lockdown-like situation in the state for now.

Coronavirus-related restrictions cannot be imposed everywhere as they may impact the economy as has been the case since the onset of the pandemic, the CM said.

‘Carefully considering every possible situation’

Saying that during COVID-19, everything was stopped which led to a situation where the common people were the worst sufferer, Banerjee said that her government doesn’t want to walk on the same path again.

The government is carefully considering every possible situation and keeping a close watch on the developments, she added.

On Omicron, the CM said the government will assess if the new variant is spreading among kids after which a decision on the closure of schools and colleges will be taken.

Requesting everyone to follow COVID guidelines and wear masks, the CM said that coronavirus cases in Kolkata are rising because it is a transit point for people travelling on trains and flights.