“This year Ram Navami is special and Bengali New Year is also special. Ram Lalla is residing at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The TMC has always tried to stop Ram Navami celebrations in Bengal. But the truth always wins. That is why the court has granted permission for Ram Navami celebrations. Tomorrow, a shobha yatra will be taken out here and across the country to mark the occasion,” the prime minister told a public meeting at Balurghat in South Dinajpur district.
His remarks came a day after the Calcutta High Court granted permission to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Anjani Putra Sena to take out Ram Navami processions in Howrah under certain conditions. A single-judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta said that the Ram Navami processions should not have more than 200 participants. It also barred the display of any weapon during the processions and added that only one vehicle carrying the idol of Lord Ram could be used in a rally. Raising provocative slogans and using disc jockeys have been banned.
‘Anti-tribal, anti-Dalit and anti-women party’
The prime minister also raised last year’s incident in Balurghat where three women were forced to perform dandavat parikrama as punishment for joining the BJP.
Branding the TMC as an “anti-tribal, anti-Dalit and anti-women party”, Modi said, “The TMC is a party that wants to suppress the voices of tribal and Dalit women. In this Balurghat, three adivasi women had joined the BJP. But TMC workers forced them to perform dandavat parikram as penance. They forced these women on their knees to offer apologies for their act. They don’t want poor, tribal and Dalit women to live their lives freely. Soon the entire TMC will be on its knees for forcing tribal women on their knees.”
A video of the dandavat parikrama went viral on social media, forcing the TMC to remove the district president of its women wing.
Central agencies attacked
The prime minister also criticised the state government over the corruption and law and order problems in the state.
“Here BJP workers are killed every now and then. Some years ago in Balurghat, our booth president was killed. The entire country watched with horror what happened in Sandeshkhali. The TMC fought till the end to protect the culprits. Corruption is taking place even in the recruitment of primary teachers. When central agencies conduct probes in corruption cases, they are being attacked. The TMC has leased Bengal to infiltrators and criminals. The West Bengal government has given protection to illegal immigrants but opposes a law like the CAA, which is meant for refugees. They are resorting to lies to mislead the people,” said Modi.
Modi also said the TMC had grown nervous since the BJP released its Lok Sabha election manifesto. “The TMC has stopped the implementation of central schemes in Bengal. Seeing Modi’s guarantee card for the next five years, they have become nervous. They feel their shops will be closed if Modi continues to help the poor. That is why they have resorted to lies and misinformation to mislead the people,” he said.