BJP spreading hatred, lies even over Durga Puja: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

KOLKATA: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has slammed BJP in the festive issue of party mouthpiece ‘Jago Bangla’ for spreading hatred and lies even surrounding a festival like Durga Puja, an epitome of inclusiveness and communal harmony.
“The party at the Centre is out to spread hatred and trying to divide people on the basis of religion, even if it mars the joy of Durga Puja festivity. I don’t consider it as healthy politics. They don’t know anything other than divisional and communal politics. The country can see the torture inflicted upon religious minorities across different states. Even as I don’t want to remember such ruthless incidents, the images keep floating before me and it only makes us stronger to fight on,” Banerjee has written in an article in the mouthpiece.
Inaugurating the festive issue at Nazrul Mancha on Sunday, Banerjee said leaders sitting in Delhi were only trying to defame Bengal in multiple ways.
“Nowadays, everything becomes a controversy. The people of Bengal are not stoking these controversies. Outsiders are doing this in exchange for money using certain digital platforms and social media networks. I appeal to those who engage in this work all day long to focus on Bengal’s activities and schemes. You can abuse us all you want. I will pray for them. You may increase your nefarious activities, but we do not believe in the politics of revenge. This is why we didn’t arrest anyone despite 34 years of corruption,” she said at Nazrul Mancha.
In the article, Banerjee spoke of how BJP was using central agencies to gag the voice of Bengal. “They think we will be afraid of the agencies and court cases. They will spread lies against us and will also conduct media trials. But we will not bow to such tactics. People of Bengal are our strength. Hence, we will succeed in dispatching the conspirators,” she wrote.
She continued the attack from the Nazrul Mancha dais as well when she said: “Those in Delhi should know they are not completely immune. They must remember that multiple agencies are sitting over their heads that people usually do not know about.”
Sharing her feelings about Unesco’s heritage tag to Kolkata’s Durga Puja, Banerjee said she believed the tag also lifts the Bengal identity, where people of different religious sentiments come together to celebrate a festival.
“During the recently conducted walk involving puja organisers to celebrate the heritage tag, I was overwhelmed to see how the walk broke the barriers of religion and caste as everyone came together to celebrate the festivity. This is the deep-rooted culture of Bengal that some parties are trying to damage,” she wrote.