Bengal Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari has severely criticized Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her "insensitive" remarks that the inauguration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya was "nothing but an election gimmick" saying that she had not only hurt the Hindu sentiments but also insulted the Supreme Court of India.
"After 500 years of struggle we are getting the Ram Temple of Ayodhya which is the birth place of Lord Rama and which will be inaugurated on January 22 … but the Chief Minister called it an election gimmick … not only this she said that the this temple was being made with the help of a Supreme Court order … this in itself is a contemptuous statement as the Apex Court gave a judgment accepted by all the parties … by dint of that judgment the Hindus got back their Ram Janmabhoomi and the Muslims were given 10 acres of land to build a mosque … and here the Chief Minister is giving political statements."
Adhikari further said that it was Banerjee and not the BJP which was playing divisive politics. "By her statement it is clear that she is trying to pursue an appeasement politics and divide the people along communal lines to garner votes ahead of the elections … this is her vote bank politics," she said.
Referring to the inauguration of the Ram Temple Banerjee had on Tuesday said that she had "more important works to do." She said "I believe a festival brings all together so it belongs to everyone but religion is a private affair … I was asked about the Ram Mandir and I said … the Temple is being constructed with the help of a Supreme Court order … do whatever you want … I am not interested in that as I have more important works to do … it is just an election gimmick … I will only want that people of other religions should not be ignored and disregarded.
Amid apprehensions that the Trinamool Congress might already have witnessed substantive erosion in her minority vote base Banerjee vowed in the name of "Ishwar" and "Allah" saying, "I vow in the name of Ishwar … Allah Kasam I will never allow communal divide in Bengal … there will be no religious discrimination in Bengal … I will never allow that."
Referring to her remarks senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh too said that the Chief Minister had made it clear that she thrived by appeasement politics.
Meanwhile, in a parallel development Bengal BJP president Sukanto Majumdar attacked the State administration even as TMC leader and strongman Shahjehan Sheikh remained non-traceable even five days after his goons allegedly attacked the Enforcement Directorate officials who went to raid his house at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas --- in relation to the multi-crore ration scam.