On day of Modi's Ayodhya ceremony, Mamata to visit Kalighat, lead harmony march
Telegraph | 17 January 2024
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will visit the Kalighat temple and offer puja on Monday, the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the consecration ceremony of the new Ram temple at Ayodhya over 900km from here.
"I will offer prayers at the Kalighat temple. I will visit there alone," said Mamata at the state secretariat Nabanna on Tuesday afternoon.
After her visit to the holiest site in Calcutta, Mamata will lead a "sanhati" rally (harmony march) with members from all communities. "We will hold an interfaith rally from Hazra to Park Circus Maidian and hold a meeting there," the chief minister said.
Mamata had earlier described Modi's grand event at Ayodhya as a "political gimmick." Modi is scheduled to perform "pran-pratishtha" rituals at the half-complete Ram temple in the Uttar Pradesh town of Ayodhya.
"Many people have been asking me about various temples but I have nothing to say. I have always believed, religion is a personal matter, while festivals are for everyone," Mamata said.
Most of the major Opposition parties, including the Congress leadership, have turned down invites to attend the ceremony for which Modi has a special 11-day schedule, including sleeping on the floor in a addition to performing rituals.
In Calcutta, the interfaith rally will begin from Mamata's home turf Hazra and end at Park Circus Maidan, where the chief minister will address the gathering. "We will cover mosques, temples, churches and gurudwaras along the way. Everybody is welcome to join the rally. People of all faiths will be there at the rally," Mamata said.
Hindu seers, like the Shankaracharyas of Puri and Uttarakhand, have distanced themselves from the event at Ayodhya, saying that the manner it is being conducted goes against Hindu scriptures.
Mamata said she had heard the views of the Hindu religious leaders. "The pran-pratishtha should be performed by religious leaders, the saints. I have heard what they have to say on the issue. I respect their views," she said.
The chief minister opened another front to attack the BJP-led central government by referring to a proposal of the railway authorities to relocate the existing skywalk at Dakshineswar station. "They make big statements on religious sites and temples. They have written to the PWD secretary to relocate the Dakshineswar skywalk. Till my last drop of blood I won't allow any changes in Dakshineswar," she said.
Mamata had inaugurated the skywalk in 2018. The metro railway authorities want to extend the tracks to ease crossover between the up and down trains. At present the same platform is used as there isn't enough space to expand the tracks.
"Dakshineswar is a part of our heritage. Before touching it they should remember Ramkrishna Paramhansa and Swami Vivekananda. There are lakhs of devotees who visit the place," she said.
Talking about her days as railway minister, Mamata said she had enough experience to suggest alternate ways but will not allow any changes. "I had solved the problems at the East-West Metro corridor (in Calcutta) and the Delhi Metro. I am ready to cooperate," she said.
The chief minister said she was constructing a skywalk at Kalighat too after dealing with existing problems. "Our job is to create infrastructure not perform pran-pratishtha," Mamata said, taking a dig at Modi.
Though the time of the harmony rally hasn't been announced yet, it is most likely it will coincide with the Ayodhya programme.
With Lok Sabha elections scheduled to be held in a few months from now both the BJP and the Trinamul are trying to mobilise support in their own way.
At all 342 blocks Trinamul will hold rallies at 3pm. "My party members will hold a rally on the same day in every block in every district," she said.
A senior Trinamul leader said the BJP and the other arms of the Sangh Parivar were active in reaping political dividend from the Ram temple.
"The Trinamul firmly believes in the secular principles guaranteed in the Constitution. The BJP is destroying India's secular fabric. Didi's message to the people of Bengal is to keep the communal BJP out of the state," he said.
On Tuesday afternoon, the local BJP unit distributed rice and earthen lamps in the chief minister's constituency Bhowanipore, as part of its drive to make the Ayodhya event a national one.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls the BJP had won 18 seats.