Puri Shankaracharya wants Gangasagar national status.

• Puri’s Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati suggests that the Union government will only grant ‘national’ status to the Gangasagar Mela once the BJP comes to power in West Bengal.

• He suggests two ways to gain ‘national’ status: electing a BJP government or declaring it a ‘national mela’ by the people of West Bengal.

• Saraswati criticizes Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not taking measures to control erosion in Gangasagar and not cooperating in the construction of a bridge over the Murganga river.

• The Trinamool Congress government has been demanding ‘national mela’ status for Gangasagar, and Banerjee has also written a letter to the Prime Minister in January 2024.

• The State government has announced the construction of a ₹1,500-crore bridge connecting the island with the mainland, which they have been demanding Central assistance for.