Police lodged separate FIRs against some BJP and RSS leaders at Kharagpur, Rampurhat, and elsewhere after Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said “law will take its own course” against those who took out armed rallies on Ramnavami day.
Coming down heavily on BJP for “trying to divide Bengal and disturb its peace” Banerjee who was addressing public at a Government function in Purulia on Thursday said “some BJP leaders descended on streets with swords and other weapons in order to terrorise the people but they will never succeed in their designs to divide the people of Bengal.”
While law would take its own course “against those who led armed rallies sooner the BJP leaders of Bengal realise it the better that their divisive politics will never succeed in Bengal as people of this State will reject this policy outrightly.”
Some BJP leaders who had no discernment of Bengali culture were trying to spread hatred in this State to clinch cheap political dividends like they did in other States, but they must realise that the fire they are trying to ignite will burn them too, she maintained adding “they have done their job and now the administration will do its own.”
The Chief Minister who claimed to be “proud of being a Hindu” said “I am equally proud of other religions” and reminded “when we need blood during a medical emergency do we inquire whether its donor is a Hindu or a Muslim. like a coordination of our body organs make it work the country and the society also works with cooperation of all communities and creeds.”
Banerjee’s attack notwithstanding the BJP explained the armed rallies in terms of “Indian tradition” even as State party president Dilip Ghosh said “the worship of Rama is associated with the worship of Shakti or energy and arms are manifestation of that. Our tradition is older than the constitution or laws.”
Another senior leader Rahul Sinha said “swords or tridents are not arms in today’s context. Arms in real sense mean bomb, pistol, bullet and in Bengal only the Trinamool Congress is authorized to wield those arms.”
The left Front on the other hand called for an apolitical rally led by the civil society to protest against “blatant show of arms” even as Bengal CPI(M) secretary Suryakanto Mishra said “our leaders will not join that rally but I call upon all and sundry to take part in it without any banner or flag.”