Bengal witnessed a virtual duel between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee even as the former accused the Bengal Government of stopping Ram Navami celebrations and honouring those who throw stones at Ram Navami processions while the latter asked the people, particularly the minorities not to walk into the trap of the BJP which is trying to trigger communal riots in Bengal.
The Prime Minister, who was addressing election rallies at Balurghat and Raiganj in North Bengal, alleged how the Bengal administration has been doing everything to spike the Ram Navami celebrations.
“Tomorrow the entire nation goes to celebrate the Ram Navami … but here the Trinamool Congress has always tried to stop it from taking place in Bengal ... they tried many conspiracies. And we were forced to get permission from the High Court and tomorrow, with devotion and faith, we will celebrate Ram Navami,” the Prime Minister said.
“It has always been that the TMC stops such religious programmes and promotes and honours those people who throw stones at these processions,” he said.
However, the Chief Minister hit back from a rally at Moinaguri in Jalpaiguri district asking people to remain alert against the “evil designs of the BJP to trigger riots in the name of festivals.”
In a statement that most Opposition parties, including the BJP read as a bid to act the messiah of the Muslims before elections, Mamata said, “Bengal is for every religion but here are some people who are trying to play communal politics by triggering riots I ask the people, particularly my minority brothers and sisters to keep your cool and do not walk into the trap laid by them … some people are spreading fake videos … some may raise slogans … but if you hear such slogans keep your cool and pray to Allah so that things pass off without fuss … because Ram Navami is a festival of mutual respect and honour.”
The BJP sends NIA in Bengal to disturb and victimise the innocent people, she said.
Earlier the High Court had allowed Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Anjani Putra Sena to take out processions, but under certain conditions, the maximum participants should not be more than 200 and that there would be no play of arms or DJs.
Tuesday’s development came against the backdrop of weeks’ long riots at Howrah, Serampore and Dalkhola in the days following Ram Navami.
The Modi-Mamata spar came at a time when in a major development the Jadavpur University authorities on Tuesday allowed the celebrations of Ram Navami at the campus even as sources said “if Saraswati Puja can be organised why Ram Navami cannot be celebrated here.” This is the first time that such celebrations would be allowed inside the campus.
Elsewhere in North Bengal the Chief Minister warned the people against the Citizenship Amendment Act, comparing it with the head of a big fish which has a tail in the National Register of Citizens. “If it is a big fish then the CAA is the head and NRC is the tail and the Uniform Civil Code is its torso,” Mamata said accusing the BJP government of playing “dirty politics of polarisation.”
Attacking the Centre for “defaming Bengal with allegations of corruption,” she demanded a white paper to be released on the issue.
Mamata’s statement came hours after bystanders cried “Chor! chor (thief! thief)” at her cavalcade.”
She said, “They were calling me thief … had it not been election times I would have pulled out their tongues who call me thief.” The BJP had sent 300 Central teams to enquire into alleged MNREGA and other frauds but failed to find any, she said.
