‘Jealous of Bengal?' CM Mamata Banerjee hits out over temple row, attacks on Bengalis
KOLKATA/BEHRAMPORE: CM
on Monday upped the ante against BJP-governed
and other states, accusing Odisha of being 'jealous' and its residents of thrashing 'anyone speaking Bengali'.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
'They issued a notification asking people not to visit Digha's Jagannath temple. We all visit Puri. We do not ask so many questions. Why is this bothering them so much? Why so much jealousy?' the CM asked, referring to the regular posers from Odisha ministers and
seniors since her inauguration of the Jagannath temple in Digha last week.
'Are you trying to say that I stole neem wood for Jagannath Dham? Mamata Banerjee will steal? I have not reached such a state.
I have four neem trees in my backyard. Ask them how many they need,' Banerjee added, while reminding Odisha that the maximum number of devotees going to Puri's Jagannath temple was from Bengal.
'They asked Daitapati (Rajesh Daitapati, Puri temple's chief servitor and also a Digha temple trustee) from where he got the neem wood for the Digha temple. He has said that he procured it from somewhere else. No question was asked when I built a skywalk in Dakshineswar.
No question was asked about the Kalighat skywalk. I perform Durga Puja and Kali Puja and there are no questions. But Jagannath Dham seems to have hit a raw point,' she said, asking Odisha 'not to behave like this'.
'I respect the Puri Jagannath Dham. Kali temples are found at many places across the country, so are Shiva temples. Any temple can exist anywhere. You never ask about temples when BJP does something. Why are they (BJP) so angry now?' the Bengal CM asked.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
'I love Puri, I love Odisha. Why does it hurt them so much? RSS and BJP protest when I go to Puri. But Bengal supplies potatoes when your stocks run short. You seek engineers from us when a cyclone disrupts your power supply. The largest number of tourists going to Puri is from Bengal. What is the harm if we establish a Jagannath Dham in Digha?' CM Mamata Banerjee asked.
Banerjee also questioned the rationale behind thrashing anyone speaking Bengali in Odisha and other BJP-governed states.
'Why are you attacking our people? Bengali-speaking people are being targeted in Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as well. You are attacking our
migrant workers
for speaking Bengali but we will not do the same. That is the difference between you and me,' the CM said. All four states — Odisha, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar — are governed by BJP with or without its allies.
'Over 1.5 crore migrant workers from diverse religions and regions have come to Bengal.
We do not want such instances or misunderstandings. We have reached out to Odisha, Bihar and Rajasthan (another BJP-governed state) and our chief secretary is writing to the union home secretary. Our DGP has spoken to his Odisha counterpart. I would request Odisha, Rajasthan and Bihar to look into this. We hope good sense prevails,' she added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
8 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Himachal: Gear up for panchayat polls, says Nadda
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Jagat Prakash Nadda on Monday directed party to prepare for the upcoming panchayat elections. He was in Solan on Monday and attended the meeting of the BJP core group meeting after the Tiranga Yatra. BJP leader Randhir Sharma said, 'National President also asked us to gear up for the upcoming panchayati raj elections and in the coming time, the BJP state president will also form teams for this'. Randhir said that the PM Modi government at the centre is going to complete its 11-year term and as per the instructions of the central leadership, programmes will be held at various levels on the occasion. 'Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Sabha will be organised at each mandal and resolutions will be taken for a developed India. Panchayat Chaupals should be organised in cities, mohallas, gram panchayats and a resolution for a developed India will also be taken there. Proud of the army: Jairam Thakur Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said that he is proud to participate in the 'Tiranga Samman Yatra' organised in Solan under the leadership of BJP national president and Union minister Jagat Prakash Nadda in honour of the historic success of Operation Sindoor and the brave armies of the country. 'This yatra is not only a symbol of our military power, but also highlights the spirit of patriotism that resides in the heart of every Indian,' he added. CM not cooperating: Bindal State BJP president Rajiv Bindal lashed out at Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu led Congress government and said 'CM is not cooperating in investigation of Vimal Negi death case' Bindal said, ' We have to say with pain that the CM of the state is not cooperating in the investigation. The way the matter of pen drive came up and it was formatted. Raising questions, Bindal said, 'Why was the pen drive disappeared, why was it presented again, the SP filed a petition against the CBI in the high court and finally it was withdrawn under public pressure. The people of Himachal have lost faith in the state government. The people of Himachal are understanding how the law and order situation has deteriorated.'
Indian Express
13 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Ankita Bhandari case becomes Congress-BJP battleground in Uttarakhand
WHILE the Pushkar Singh Dhami-led BJP government is claiming credit for 'swift justice' after a Uttarakhand court on Friday sentenced three persons, including former BJP minister Vinod Arya's son, Pulkit, to life imprisonment in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, the Congress has alleged that evidence was destroyed and there were 'lapses in the probe'. Referring to the September 23, 2022, demolition of the 'illegal' Vanantara resort where Ankita was employed and lived, a day before her body was recovered from the Chilla canal, state Congress spokesperson Garima Dasauni targeted a BJP MLA. All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba was also present at the press conference held by the party Monday. 'The MLA, acting on what she claimed were instructions from Dhami, demolished the resort where the girl was staying. She then released a video thanking the CM for his sensitive response. Even as tampering with a crime scene is a grave offence, Dhami himself in a social media post on September 24 boasted about the demolition of the Vanantara resort,' Dasauni said. Acting DGP Abhinav Kumar said the judgment was based on evidence. Dasauni also pointed to the 'irregularities' in the BJP's poster, circulated widely on social media by party workers, which claimed that the government had changed lawyers thrice at the victim's family's behest, provided jobs to Ankita's kin, ensured that the accused's bail was rejected due to strong arguments by prosecutors and provided Rs 25 lakh financial assistance to the family. 'It also falsely claimed that the accused were arrested within 24 hours but in reality it took six days,' she said. Claiming that 'Ankita had to die' due to the VIP that the Dhami government was 'shielding', former CM Harish Rawat said the Congress would reinvestigate the case if voted to power in the 2027 Assembly polls. 'We will set up an SIT within 10 days of government formation… The incident is of great significance as Ankita sacrificed her life for honour. There is a general feeling among the people that the BJP government helped cover up the case,' Rawat told The Indian Express, adding that Bisht's role also needed to be probed. Following the court's verdict Anikta's father, Virendra Bhandari called for the BJP MLA's role and the VIP's details to be made public even as Dhami cited his government's 'sankalp (resolve)' in ensuring justice for Ankita. 'She was a daughter and sister of the mountains… Soon after the incident came to light, we directed the police to arrest the accused, and constituted an SIT headed by a woman IPS officer. Due to this, the accused were not granted bail and have been sentenced to life in prison. We are also in touch with her family,' he said. State BJP chief and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt also sought to credit Dhami's leadership for the verdict and hailed the role of investigating agencies. 'The CM had made it clear that the culprits would be awarded the strictest punishment. Acting upon his directives, all proceedings – from investigation to trial – were conducted with the consent and involvement of the victim's family. Despite the high number of witnesses and evidence, justice was delivered in a minimal timeframe,' he said. A receptionist at the Vanantara resort, 19-year-old Ankita was murdered on September 18, 2022, for allegedly refusing to 'offer special services' to a VIP guest, whose identity is yet to be revealed. While the Congress alleged 'malpractice' in keeping the guest's details hidden, Ankita's parents had moved the Uttarakhand High Court seeking the case be transferred to the CBI. However, the petition was dismissed. Protests had erupted across the state after the case came to light with the Congress demanding a CBI probe into it while accusing the BJP of tampering with the evidence. Arya as well as his elder son Ankit, who was the vice-president of the OBC Commission, were expelled in the wake of the incident. The Congress had also taken up the case ahead of the Lok Sabha polls with its state chief Karan Mahara urging the Election Commission (EC) to transfer DGP Kumar. '…The investigation of Ankita Bhandari's heinous murder case is still ongoing but the statement of the current DGP regarding the investigation, in which he has been found defending the government like the spokesperson of the ruling party, is against the dignity of his current post,' he had said in his letter to the EC. The BJP had gone on to win all five Lok Sabha seats in the state. Aiswarya Raj is a correspondent with The Indian Express who covers South Haryana. An alumna of Asian College of Journalism and the University of Kerala, she started her career at The Indian Express as a sub-editor in the Delhi city team. In her current position, she reports from Gurgaon and covers the neighbouring districts. She likes to tell stories of people and hopes to find moorings in narrative journalism. ... Read More
Indian Express
17 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Today in Politics: Rahul Gandhi to launch MP Cong revival campaign; second phase of Ram Mandir consecration
Days after the All India Congress Committee (AICC) appointed district observers to oversee the party's organisational revamp in Madhya Pradesh, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is set to lead a series of meetings in Bhopal as part of the Congress's 'Sangathan Srajan Abhiyan (Organisation Rejuvenation Campaign)' on Tuesday. The campaign, which had been approved by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) at a meeting in Karnataka's Belagavi in December 2024, aims to prepare the party ahead of the 2028 Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh. The move is part of a larger national effort to restructure the party's state units. On Tuesday, Gandhi will launch the campaign in Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress has been diminished since its government collapsed in 2020. The Congress suffered an overwhelming defeat in the 2023 Assembly polls, winning just 66 of the state's 234 seats. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP swept all 29 of the state's Parliamentary seats. 'The abhiyan is being launched to strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level and instill enthusiasm among party workers. We have not been in power in Madhya Pradesh for a long time,' former state party chief Arun Yadav and ex-minister Sajjan Verma said on Monday. While in Bhopal, Gandhi will attend a meeting of the state Congress's Political Affairs Committee, followed by meetings with all party MPs and MLAs from the state, observers appointed both by the AICC and the state unit. He will also attend a party convention with members of the state committee, district and block presidents, and AICC members. Gandhi's visit comes just over a week after the state Congress launched a pilot project in the Vidisha district to restructure the party from the grassroots level. Meanwhile, the BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government is set to hold a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday in Pachmarhi to honour the legacy of tribal king Raja Bhabhut Singh. According to officials, Pachmarhi holds historical significance due to the contributions of the Gond ruler, who utilised the hilly terrain for governance, security, and the protection of cultural heritage. The BJP has been making special efforts to commemorate regional icons recently. While the Madhya Pradesh government held a recent Cabinet meeting at the Rajwada Palace in Indore to mark the 300th birth anniversary year of famed queen Ahilyabai Holkar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 31 attended a 'Mahila Sashaktikaran Maha Sammelan' in Bhopal that also honoured Ahilyabai Holkar. Second phase of Ram Mandir consecration The second phase of the consecration ceremony at the Ram Mandir in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya will begin on Tuesday, officials said. As a precursor to the 'pran pratishtha', a grand sacred procession was flagged off from the banks of the Saryu River on Monday. According to an official statement, the upcoming rituals will include the consecration of idols in the Ram Darbar on the temple's first floor and in six other temples within the complex walls. The main ceremonies will culminate on June 5, coinciding with the auspicious occasion of Ganga Dussehra. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is scheduled to attend four key events, including the main consecration ceremony. No public invitations have been issued for June 3 to 5. A similar three-day celebration was held on January 11, marking the first anniversary of the original 'pran pratishtha' that was led by PM Modi in January last year. Speaker Om Birla in Brazil Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is in Brazil to participate in the 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, where he is scheduled to present his views on reform of multilateral peace and security architecture. Birla is leading the Indian parliamentary delegation for the three-day forum, which will be attended by presiding officers of parliaments of BRICS members and invited nations. The delegation comprises Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Rajya Sabha member Surendra Singh Nagar, Lok Sabha members Vijay Baghel, Vivek Thakur and Shabari Byreddy. Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh and Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody are also part of the delegation. – With PTI inputs
