Trinamool Congress legislator Nusrat Jahan was seen enjoying the festivities during Durga Puja on Saturday, dancing to the beat of ‘dhaak’ and also playing the traditional Bengali instrument on the eighth day of the festival in Kolkata. The 30-year-old, who is also a Bengali film actor, was seen wearing a traditional red and white sari, performing some dance moves with other dancers while the ‘dhaakis’ provided the music.
The TMC leader, who was accompanied by her husband Nikhil Jain, later tested her skills on the ‘dhak’ at Suruchi Sangha, a prominent pandal in the city. They were also seen offering prayers to Goddess Durga and performing an aarti, showed a two-minute video posted on Twitter by the ANI news agency.
The video also shows everyone wearing face masks and upholding government-set social distancing rules in the Suruchi Sangha pandal in the New Alipore area. It is one of the largest and most famous Durga Puja locations anywhere in the city, even though it does not receive visitors due to measures in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Jahan had also participated in the Durga Ashtami festivities last year. Dressed in a red sari, Jahan was seen dancing with a group of women in the Suruchi Sangha Pandal while her husband played the ‘dhaak’.
The TMC leader had received death threats in September on social media when she dressed up as goddess Durga for a clothing line and shared her photos on Instagram. His office had notified the necessary authorities about the incident thereafter.
However, this was not the first time she had to face abuse. Last year she was threatened for marrying a Hindu and applying ‘sindoor’ and participating in a rath yatra soon after. “I am the special child of God. I celebrate all parties. I respect humanity and love more than anything, ”Jahan told ANI after the incident.
Durga Puja has been low-key this year, as the government has advised people to uphold social distancing rules to limit the spread of the coronavirus disease.
Jahan was elected to the Lok Sabha in last year’s general elections as a member of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s All India Trinamool Congress party from West Bengal’s Basirhat constituency.
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