The Mamata Banerjee Government has pulled the strings from behind to get cancelled the RSS booking of Mahajati Sadan, a State-run auditorium where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was
scheduled to address a meeting of its organising committee, sources said on Tuesday.
To add insult to injury, the State Government has also rejected application of the State BJP that sought to book the Netaji Indoor Stadium for a meeting to be addressed by party president Amit Shah, sources said.
Shah is likely to tour Bengal on a three-day visit from September 10.
Bhagwat’s meeting was to be held on October 3 for which the historic Mahajati Sadan in North Kolkata was booked way back in June. “But the Sadan authorities informed us on Friday that the facility could not be provided due to work to be undertaken there,” Rantideb Sengupta, general secretary of Sister Nivedita 150th Anniversary Celebrations Committee, said.
RSS ideologue M Vaidya said the Mamata Government was taking certain steps to take vengeance on RSS. “ The cancellation of the programme of Bhagwat was one such step. Sister Nivedita Foundation works for the destitute women. By taking this step they have shown their regards for the women also,” he said.
The Trinamool Government was only appeasing the jehadi elements by taking such steps, he said.
Proffering an apology for the withdrawal of the permission for Bhagwat’s programme, Trinamool leaders said, “They are making fuss unnecessarily despite knowing the fact that Mahajati Sadan remains closed for about 10 days to two weeks during the Durga Pujas for renovation work.”
The twin cancellations were promptly greeted with a massive broadside from the saffron brigade. Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha said the Trinamool Government had “stooped to a level where it only finds solace in playing to the minority gallery.”
In January this year the Kolkata Police had to pop the bitter pill — after withdrawing permission for Bhagwat’s meeting at the historic Brigade parade ground — when the Calcutta High Court gave a nod allowing the meeting to take place.
Reacting to the Sangh diatribe, TMC MP Derek O’Brien said the “channels are just cooking up stories without knowing the fact,” adding “it was no last minute cancellation.” A notice to cancel the booking had been given a month ago, he said.