West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the prayer gathering at Red Road in Kolkata on Saturday. (Twitter/@MamataOfficial)
Questing those accusing her of indulging in minority appeasement, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said the country belonged to everyone and that she respected and loved all communities and religion equally.
“Some accuse me of (doing) Muslim appeasement. My question to them is whether loving Hindus means you have to hate Muslims. I respect and love all communities and religion. This country belongs to everybody,” she said, while addressing a special prayer gathering at Red Fort in Kolkata on the occasion of Eid.
The Trinamool Congress supremo added, “Those who say I appease Muslims are friends of neither the Hindus nor the Muslims.”
I was present in the Eid congregation at Red Road today and exchanged greetings with all.
Some pictures are posted here for all of you.#EidMubarak pic.twitter.com/VQVKxH9Gs2
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 16, 2018
While taking credit over the postponement of the Niti Aayog meeting which was scheduled for today and will now take place tomorrow, she said, “My question to the Central government officials is whether they are not aware that Eid is scheduled to be celebrated on June 16. Why the Niti Aayog meeting was kept on that day? I had written to the Central government urging it to change the date so that it doesn’t clash with Eid.”
Earlier in the day, she took to Twitter to pass her greetings to the Muslim community. “May this Eid bring happiness and endless blessings from the Almighty,” she tweeted.
May this #Eid bring happiness and endless blessings from the Almighty. #EidMubarak
ঈদ মুবারক pic.twitter.com/JmqKBwx3pb
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 15, 2018
The BJP and some other organisations have been accusing the Bengal CM of indulging in appeasement of Muslims for political reasons. In the past, the West Bengal government under Banerjee had started a monthly stipend for imams and muezzins, and the CM has often been seen reading the Kalma during public meetings in Muslim-dominated areas.
On Friday, the CM confirmed her participation in the meeting which will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Banerjee and a few other chief ministers had expressed unwillingness to attend the meeting in view of the Eid festival, following which it was postponed by a day to June 17.