While addressing a gathering for Eid-ul-Fitr namaz in Kolkata’s Red Road on Saturday, April 22, West Bengal CM and TMC supremo launched a veiled attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). Without taking names, Mamata Banerjee went on to call BJP a ‘Gaddar Party’ (traitors) while accusing AIMIM of being a BJP stooge.
“All I would like to tell you is stay peaceful, don’t listen to anyone. A ‘gaddar party’ with whom I have to fight… I have to fight agencies too – I fight them because I have the courage to do so. I am not ready to bow down,” she said, without naming any party.
In an obvious reference to the All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), the TMC supremo further claimed that some political parties were trying to divide Muslim votes to help the BJP. She assured the gathering that she would not let it happen.
“Someone takes money from BJP and says that they will divide Muslim votes. I tell them that they don’t have the courage to divide Muslim votes for BJP,” she snarled, attempting to instigate the Muslim crowd assembled for Eid-ul-Fitr namaz on Kolkata’s Red Road.
It is pertinent to note here that Mamata Banerjee’s allegations of Owaisi being hand-in gloves with the BJP are not new. In 2021, she made similar inference while addressing a crowd in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar. “A person came to Bengal from Hyderabad, he took money from BJP. Don’t allow him here”, she said. Basically, Mamata Banerjee had insinuated that Asaduddin Owaisi, who is predominantly from Hyderabad, is on the payrolls of BJP and is trying to make inroads in Bengal to divide the Muslim vote on BJP’s command.
Mamata Banerjee vows to maintain peace and unity in West Bengal
Ironically, Mamata Banerjee further emphasised her commitment to maintaining ‘peace’ and ‘unity’ in the state. The West Bengal chief minister asserted she did not want riots or divisions in the country and promised to do everything in her power to prevent such occurrences.
Here it becomes imperative to recall, how only last month several incidents of violence were reported from many places in the state during Ram Navami celebrations. Recently, Mamata Banerjee had also downplayed the post-poll violence in her state, which claimed the lives of more than a dozen BJP workers, by calling it ‘small-time incidents.’
Clearly disregarding all her past apathetic remarks and attitude towards the several violent incidents that have rocked the state under her regime, the West Bengal CM said, “We want peace in Bengal. We don’t want riots. We want peace. We don’t want divisions in the country. Those who want to create divides in the country — I promise today on Eid, I am ready to give my life but I will not let the country divide.”
Mamata Banerjee further attacked the central government by evoking democracy. She said, “If democracy will go away, everything will go away. Today Constitution is being changed, history is being changed. They brought NRC. I told them that I will not let them do that.”
“In one year’s time, elections will be held to decide who will come to power in our country. Let us promise that we will unite and fight against divisive forces. We must ensure that all of us together vote them out in the next polls. If we fail to protect democracy, then everything will be finished,” she added.
