Bengal Chief Mamata Banerjee has appealed to the people to maintain communal harmony during the festive seasons which has made Kolkata what it is --- the City of Joy.
Even as she went about inaugurating Kali Puja pandals across the city the Chief Minister told the gatherings to “celebrate Kali Puja and Diwali to promote mutual harmony and friendship and not to trigger riots.” “There are people who use festivals to pursue their political interests … there are others who take pleasure in criticising others … I have no problem if you criticise me but please don’t do anything that brings Kolkata and Bangla Maa (Mother Bengal) to disrepute,” the Chief Minister said.
“I will ask people to enjoy the festival of lights but not indulge in communal tension or riots … that is not what our Bengal is known for … we live together … we live in harmony and peace … please do not indulge in any mischief or communal riot,” Banerjee said.
In an apparent bid to woo a section of people who do not speak Bengali as their mother tongue Banerjee said that her State makes no discrimination between citizens on the basis of caste, creed religion and embraces people of all hues with open arms.
“In Bengal people live together in harmony … there is no quarrel … everyone has equal rights … I ask everyone of you who live here to make Bengal your own … I assure you that you will get everything that you deserve in Bengal … it is only in Bengal where no discrimination is made on food habits … no one will as you as to what you eat … whether you are a vegetarian or you are a non-vegetarian … this is the same ideological foundation that our forefathers had lived with and strived for … without Bengal there would not have been freedom struggle or there would not have been renaissance in India … so we must respect the ethos of that Bengal,” Banerjee said.
Banerjee’s appeal came a day after BJP leader and cine star Mithun Chakrabarty --- during his speech in his party’s meeting on membership drive --- advocated a tit for tat for those “who would try to throw the 30 percent population of Musrshidabad district in the waters of Bhagirathi River.”
He was speaking in reference to a statement made by Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir during general elections. He had then said that the men of his community constituted 70 percent of the population of Murshidabad and it would take no time for him to throw the BJP supporters in the waters of Bhagirathi (Ganga) if they committed any mischief.
Bengal Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari too asked his party’s supporters to remain united or else they would be chopped off like the members of the minority community in Bangladesh. “Agar Bantoge to Katoge … ek rahoge to nek rahoge (divided we stand slain … in unity is our wellbeing)” he told in the party meeting.
