Amid speculation whether she will participate in the inauguration of Ram mandir in Ayodhya, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday came down heavily on the BJP for mixing religion and politics.
Ms. Banerjee, however, remained non-committal on the question whether she will participate in the inauguration of the temple or not. “You people seem to know everything. I know nothing,” the Trinamool Congress chairperson said when asked about whether she will be participating in the event or not. Sources in the Trinamool Congress have, however, said the Chief Minister might give the event a miss.
Accusing the BJP of playing the card of religion before every election, Ms. Banerjee, addressing a gathering in State’s North 24 Parganas, said, “Following religion is an individual’s affair. But a festival involves all, irrespective of their religious belief. Before every election, they [BJP] play the card of religion”.
The Trinamool Congress in its 12-year-old regime has not hesitated from promoting religion and mixing it with politics. Not only does the West Bengal government under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee provide financial allocation to community Durga Pujas, the State government is working for renovation of key temples at Kalighat, Dakhineshwar and Tarakeshwar. The State government through the Wakf Board provides honorarium to Imams and Muezzins.
Free food grains
While addressing the gathering at Deganga on Thursday, the Chief Minister also criticised the BJP’s promise of free food grains to the majority of country’s population and said her government had been doing it from the very start.
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Reiterating that she will not allow the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in West Bengal, Ms. Banerjee said, “All of you are citizens of this country. CAA will not be allowed in Bengal. If you face any problem related to your citizenship, the concerned district magistrates will take care of it.” The Chief Minister told the gathering that everyone is a citizen.
‘You all are citizens of this country. If not, how are you getting the ration every day? How did you get PAN cards, Aadhaar cards or voter cards? All this is a bluff,” Ms. Banerjee said.
She also asserted that the Trinamool Congress would spearhead the fight against the BJP in West Bengal in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls and alleged that the Congress and the CPI(M) have an understanding with the BJP in the State.
“The CPI(M), BJP, and the Congress have forged an alliance in West Bengal and are actively campaigning against us. The INDIA opposition alliance will confront the saffron camp nationwide, with the TMC spearheading the battle against the BJP in West Bengal,” Ms. Banerjee said.
