Mamata wants a ‘split screen’ on local TV channels on 22 January.
While the country gears up for the Ram Temple inauguration on Monday, 22 January, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to lead a “Sampriti (harmony) rally” accompanied by representatives of all religions in Kolkata on the same day.
Trinamool sources say several hundred sadhus along with leaders of all faiths are likely to join Mamata Banerjee on her Sampriti rally, which will take place on the same day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to lead the pran pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Lalla idol at Ayodhya.
Political observers say the move is prompted by Mamata’s desire to prevent Prime Minister Modi from monopolising the television screens on 22 January, at least in Bengal. She wants a “split screen” to showcase her “secular credentials” with the help of a helpful vernacular media.
Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh told The Sunday Guardian, “Sadhus in Kolkata as well across the state have expressed their desire to participate. Religious heads, interfaith socio-cultural bodies, academics and cultural personalities are expected to join in.” He added that this rally for harmony would display the secular fabric of the people of the state and added that the political leadership would not be at the forefront of the all-faith rally.
Mamata Banerjee had told a press conference last week that she would start the rally after praying to Goddess Kali at Kalighat temple. Her next stop is likely to be a Bhowanipore gurudwara. She will go to a mosque off Hazra Road, and then attend a prayer in a church off Park Circus. The rally that starts at 3 pm, sources said, and may take three hours to move from Hazra to Park Circus.
A Trinamool leader said: “While it is expected is that the CM will visit these religious places, we have also made alternative arrangements so that her obeisance is made at the gurdwara, mosque and church, in case she cannot physically go. We expect several thousand people to be part of this rally. The arrangements are being finalised.”
A source indicated that a two-wheeler is being kept on standby if Banerjee has to go to the shrines, which are off the rally route. Mamata Banerjee has urged people from all walks of life to join her.
A religious head, who is part of a socio-cultural interfaith group, said: “We have been informally requested to join the rally. We also want to be part of this all-faith endeavour. We are expecting a formal invite from the Trinamool Congress leaders.”
Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Ayodhya visit, Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: “We have nothing to say. They (BJP) have nothing to say on roti, kapda aur makan, they have to do politics with religion… They have failed to deliver on development, reducing economic distress and unemployment, so they have to pitch Ram in vote marketing.”
The Congress and the Left, who are members of the I.N.D.I.A bloc for the Lok Sabha elections along with the Trinamool Congress, are questioning the need for a Sampriti rally in the state, when there is no problem related to religion.
“Why a sudden Sampriti rally? What is the need? Who told the Chief Minister that sampriti is in danger or is required in the state?” asked Md Selim, CPM politburo member.
Leaders of the state’s main Opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party said that this is a desperate attempt to curry favour with the Muslim vote-bank in West Bengal which is showing signs of moving away from the Trinamool.
Suvendu Adhikari, the BJP Leader of the Opposition in the state told The Sunday Guardian: “I am not at all surprised to see the Mamata government stooping so low and trying to create a distraction and diverting attention from the historic Pran Pratistha ceremony of Lord Ram. Realising that the so-called Sampriti yatra will fail to resonate with the public in general at the macro level, as people are submerged in the Ram bhakti wave, the scheming administration is now trying to create diversions at the micro level.”
He alleged that the state administration had suddenly announced the holding of block level outreach camps—“Samasya Samadhan, Jan Sanjog”— to draw people to the camps.
“Even though maximum states have declared a holiday on 22 January, the West Bengal Government has refrained from doing so. Thus, their motive is clear. They are trying to engage people by luring them to the camps on 22 January 2024, which is not a holiday in the state,” he alleged.
He also alleged that some Ram bhakts had approached the Maheshtala police station in South 24-Parganas district to seek permission for conducting Shri Ram Puja on 22 January. “Under the instructions of Abhishek Banerjee and his goons, the police prepared a malicious and fabricated report which necessitated the court appearance of the organisers on that day. The police falsely claimed that the Ram bhakts are likely to commit a breach of peace or disturb the public tranquility. So, in Mamata’s Bengal, organizing Shri Ram Puja now amounts to breach of peace and public tranquillity”, he said.
“May Lord Ram forgive these ignorants and sinners as they don’t have the capacity to realize that they are on the path of adharma”, he added.