BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend a programme in Kolkata in December where about 1 lakh people will recite the Bhagavad Gita together.

The event will be organised by the ‘Lokkho Konthe Gitapatha Committee’- which is an association of three three religious organisations- on December 24 at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground.

“The committee has decided to organise the ‘Ek Lakh Gita Path’ programme on December 24. They had gone to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the event. I had accompanied them. The PM has given his consent to attend the programme. The committee will invite other dignitaries as well,” said Majumdar.

According to the BJP leader, invitations will also be sent to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Governor CV Ananda Bose and other noted personalities from the state. “This event has nothing to do with the BJP, and we are not organising it. We hope it will be a success,” he added.

Basant Sethia, general secretary of the ‘Lokkho Konthe Gitapatha Committee’, said, “The Brigade Parade Ground, where the event will be held, is known for hosting massive political meetings and rallies. We have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the event. He assured us that he will try his best to attend it. We are not making any political statement through this event. We will invite all MLAs, MPs, Governor, the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court and other VVIPs.”

The Trinamool Congress, however, has claimed that the programme has been organised with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

“As the Lok Sabha polls are approaching, it is quite natural that BJP leaders would visit the state more frequently. We have seen this ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly polls too. But the BJP will not benefit anything from this. By failing to counter us politically, they have resorted to religious politics ahead of the general elections,” said TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh.