KOLKATA: Portraying a secular image, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led an interfaith rally on Monday, the day of the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple, and launched a blistering attack on the BJP by terming the Ayodhya event a move of “vote-bank politics” ahead of the upcoming general elections.
“They are selling out and dividing the country in the name of religion. At a time of massive unemployment in the country, they are induldging in constructions at the cost of poor people’s blood. If you support the BJP, Allah will not forgive you,” said Mamata while addressing a public gathering after the all-faith harmony march titled ‘Sanghati Yatra’ in Park Circus, a minority-dominated pocket in east Kolkata.
Along with representatives from all religions, Mamata started the march from Hazra crossing in south Kolkata after offering prayer at Kalighat temple. She visited a gurdwara, mosque and church, giving out a message of harmony, which is believed to counter the Ayodhya ceremony.
Delivering the speech in Hindi, as the area is dominated by non-Bengali Muslims, she labelled the BJP as an “anti-women” party. “They (BJP) talk about Lord Ram. But what about Goddess Sita? She was all along with Lord Ram during his exile,” she said.
Referring to the PM ’s remark in Ayodhya that the Ram temple’s construction will set off a firestorm, Mamata said, “Setting something ablaze is easy, but dousing flames is a tough task.” The CM claimed that her march had nothing to do with the consecration event, the rally appears have two purposes — portraying herself as a secular partner of the INDIA bloc and assurring Bengal’s minorities party is not anti-Muslim.