In a move likely to add salt to the ruling TMC's wounds after a bruising performance in Lok Sabha polls, Singh, a former Trinamool Congress MLA who joined the BJP before the general election, had hit out at Banerjee for losing her temper when a group of men shouted 'Jai Shri Ram' in front of her car. It asked whether it is a crime to chant the phrase in the state.
Mamata in her reaction today said that this is a deliberate attempt that is being made to propagate ideology of hatred through vandalism and violence, which must be opposed. Banerjee said she had no problem regarding any particular slogan being used in political rallies or events of a party. "We do not respect this forcible enforcement of political slogans on others...," she said.
The Trinamool Congress supremo also said attempts were being made to propagate the ideology of hatred, which should be opposed. Here's West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's full post:
We wish to inform the people that some BJP supporters are trying to spread hatred ideology through one section of media - so so called BJP media and so so called fake video, fake news, misinformation and disinformation to create confusion and to suppress truth and reality.
So far as media is considered, we have no problem as it is their choice and prerogative.
From Ram Mohan Roy to Vidyasagar to other great social reformers, Bengal has been a seat of harmony, progress and forward thinking. But now, the misconceived strategy of BJP is targeting Bengal in a very negative manner.
I have no problem, regarding any particular slogan of political parties in their rallies, and for their party purpose. Every political party has their own slogan. My party has Jai Hind, Vande Mataram. The Left has Inquilab Zindabad. Others have different slogans. We respect each other.
Jai Sia Ram, Jai Ram ji ki, Ram naam Satya hai etc have religious and social connotations. We respect these sentiments.
But BJP is using religious slogan Jai Sri Ram as their party slogan in a misconceived manner by way of mixing religion with politics.
We do not respect this forcible enforcement of political slogans on others in the name of so called RSS which Bengal never accepted.
This is a deliberate attempt to sell hatred ideology through vandalism and violence which we must oppose together.
One can fool some people sometimes, but cannot fool all the people all the time.
This is high time that proper action is taken to restrain political workers not to indulge in activities of creating unrest, chaos, violence and disruption of normal life by taking recourse to misplaced ideologies in the so called name of religion to create divide among the people. If all other political parties start resorting to these sort of divisive and disruptive activities, then the entire environment would become highly vitiated and counterproductive.
We have to and would oppose such moves of BJP very strongly in order to keep secular character of the country as enshrined in our constitution.
I appeal to all the people of the country and the state to give a befitting reply to hatred politics and show respect to our country’s glorious culture and heritage.
Let us all be proud of our culture and heritage.
Jai Hind, Jai Bangla, Joyo He.
The chief minister has lost her cool twice in the past few weeks over people chanting 'Jai Sri Ram' at a few places in the state, as her motorcade passed through those areas.
Earlier yesterday, Singh also alleged that Mamata was using the police machinery to further her own interests. "She has come to a level where she is using her party and also the police to harass the public. She has lost her mental balance as no stable person otherwise will engage in such activities. Barrackpore will not tolerate this kind of autocratic behaviour of Mamata Banerjee," he said.