Irony that BJP evokes Bengal icons, as party's vision does not match their ideals: TMC leader

KOLKATA: The ruling TMC in West Bengal on Monday said that the BJP's attempts to evoke Bengal's icons, such as Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda, for political gains are "ironical" in nature, as ideals of these luminaries do not match with the saffron party's vision and objectives.

Speaking to reporters here, on the eve of Swami Vivekananda's birthday, senior TMC leader Bratya Basu recalled that Sri Ramakrishna had once said "jato mat, tato path", which means multiple views lead to multiple avenues -- in short, pluralism -- "something that the saffron camp does not subscribe to".

"The BJP talking about them is nothing short of an irony as the party does not believe in Ramakrishna's way of thinking. Even Swami Vivekananda had said 'those who love humanity serve the God'," Basu, also a state minister, said Oo the contrary, TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has paid tribute to these eminent personalities by restoring their residences, and also made arrangements to honour them on occasions, the minister stated.

The CM, however, was thwarted from delivering speeches at Oxford Union and Chicago, "for reasons which are not known to us", he said.

The Oxford Union had in December 2020 postponed Banerjee's virtual address at the eleventh hour, citing unforeseen circumstances.

The TMC leadership, infuriated over the development, had claimed that "political pressure" might have forced the organisers to take such a call.

In 2018, the feisty TMC supremo's scheduled programme at Chicago on the occasion of Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary was also cancelled.