Ahead of the inauguration of the Ram temple, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of engaging in a “gimmick show” and said she doesn’t endorse celebrations that exclude other communities.
The TMC supremo said she stands against dividing the masses along religious lines and claimed that the BJP was neglecting people of other communities. “Yesterday, I was asked about Ram Mandir… I said religion belongs to different individuals, but festivals are for everyone. I believe in festivals that take along people from all communities, talk about everyone, and speak of unity… You are doing it (construction of the Ram temple) on the court’s order. He (Prime Minister Modi) will do a gimmick show before the elections. I have no objection. But it is nobody’s business to neglect people of other communities… I don’t believe in dividing people on religious lines,” Mamata said addressing a public gathering in Joynagar, South 24 Parganas district of the state.
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“As long as the Trinamool Congress is there, as long as the Trinamool Congress government is there, I promise you that I will never allow Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Scheduled Tribes to be divided,” she added.
The Ram temple inauguration in Ayodhya is set for January 22, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expected to attend the ‘Pran Pratistha’ ceremony, along with more than 6,000 guests.
Mamata Banerjee also took a jab at the BJP-led central government for its actions against Opposition members, highlighting the recent confrontations involving central agencies. After an incident where Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials were attacked during a raid at a local TMC leader’s residence regarding an alleged ration scam, Banerjee likened the Government of India’s functioning like an agency-centric government.
“The way rats and mice are roaming… they will loot your hard-earned money,” Mamata said.
Additionally, Banerjee expressed concern about the lack of transparency regarding seized items. “You won’t even get a list of the seized items. I would like to ask the chief secretary if the items taken by the CBI in the Bogtui case have been recovered.”
Furthermore, the TMC leader denounced the BJP’s handling of the Bilkis Bano case, accusing the party of attempting to shield the perpetrators. “They tried to save the culprits of Bilkis Bano case, but the Supreme Court delivered a strong order against them. They expel our MP Mahua Moitra, who was among those who appealed in the Supreme Court against the remission of 11 convicts of Bilkis Bano rape and murder case,” the CM remarked.