Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday expressed her strong resolve to espouse and defend India’s unity and urged the people to respect each others’ languages in tandem with taking “pride in your mother tongue.”
Banerjee who was speaking at the inauguration of the International Mother Language Day said she wanted a truly united India which was powerful and where the people were mutually respectful each others’ cultures.
In an apparent reference to the post-Pulwama hysterics where the people of Kashmir were subjected to victimisation all over the country Banerjee said the entire community should not be judged by the act of one person.
“I cannot expect victimisation of (Kashmiri) people for one instance,” she said adding “there is no reason to judge all the Kashmiris by the act of one person.”
A suicide attacker from Kashmir had last week rammed into a CRPF convoy with an IED-loaded vehicle killing 44 jawans inviting world-wide condemnation against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in India.
Banerjee who earlier expressed on the Twitter her “best wishes to all on International Mother Language Day” asking the people to “respect all languages but take pride in your mother tongue” told a gathering at Deshapriya Park in South Kolkata that she wanted a united India which was strong and powerful by dint of its unity.
“We all want to sleep with unity, walk with unity, talk with unity …we want a united India, a powerful India,” Banerjee said.
Meanwhile, ruling Trinamool Congress sources said the Bengal Chief Minister would next week attend the anti-BJP opposition meet scheduled to be held at Mohali in Punjab.
The meeting is likely to be held on February 26. A senior TMC leader said “the Chief Minister will take part in the all-party meeting at Mohali as she has been a prime mover for an opposition unity to throw the BJP out of power.”
Banerjee had earlier attended a similar meeting at NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s residence in Delhi where she met most opposition leaders including Congress president Rahul Gandhi.