The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leadership came down heavily on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for refusing to deliver her speech during the 'Parakram Diwas' celebration on Saturday, after the crowd greeted her with "Jai Shri Ram" slogans. Mamata's move represents her anti-Hindu ideology and efforts to appease a particular community, said VHP leaders.
In an awkward situation at the Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata on Saturday where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee shared a dais to pay tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 124th birth anniversary, Mamata refused to deliver her speech after a section of the audience greeted her with Jai Shree Ram, a slogan associated with the BJP and Hindutva forces but in no way with Netaji.
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"I think government events should have some decorum maintained. I am thankful to the prime minister and the Union culture minister for inviting me here. But I think it is not right to insult the invitees," Mamata said, adding that in protest of this she would not be delivering any speech. Read more
"What Mamata Banerjee did yesterday reflects her anti-Hindu mindset and her efforts towards appeasement politics. Lord Ram is the soul of the country. Why does she get angry with 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans? We fail to understand", Surendra Jain, international joint general secretary of VHP said to PTI.
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Meanwhile, BJP leader and grandnephew of Netaji, Chandra Kumar Bose, said there was nothing wrong with the slogan and Netaji's birth anniversary should not be mixed with politics.
The Congress and the Left Front had backed Banerjee and slammed the BJP for the incident.
With PTI inputs
