Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Assam and West Bengal today (AFP)
Calcutta:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose silence about the “Jai Shri Ram” slogan episode during his last visit to Bengal was questioned by the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress, made his position clear today.
“Bengal loves football. Let me speak in that language. Trinamool has committed many fouls, one after another. Lack of mismanagement, attacks on opposition leaders, stealing money … The people of Bengal he’s watching. Bengal soon show Trinamool the Ram card, “the prime minister said at a function in Haldia, the territory of former minister Suvendu Adhikari, who left Trinamool to join the BJP in December.
Ms. Banerjee, still resentful of the January 23 episode when the slogans “Jai Shri Ram” were shouted on the show at the Victoria Memorial, sent a negative RSVP for today’s event.
What had hurt his party the most was the Prime Minister’s silence about the episode. “His silence condones the behavior of BJP supporters,” Bengal’s urban affairs minister Firhad Hakim said.
The chief minister, known to be annoyed by “Jai Shri Ram’s slogans,” which have become a battle cry for the BJP in the state, refused to continue her speech at the event after some people from the last rows shouted the slogans as she rose to speak.
“This is not a political program. Government programs should have some dignity. It is not fair to insult someone you have invited,” he had said before resigning.
His stance garnered support from traditional rivals: Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI (M).
“The prime minister has damaged his own position by allowing this. No one has the right to insult Mamata Banerjee … our prime minister … like this. It was an attack by the Hindu communalists on the culture of Bengal. A political and community assault. to Bengal, “Congress’s Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had said.
“He did the right thing by refusing to give his speech. Why couldn’t he speak? Because the BJP had a party program with government money. This is wrong. An evil is an evil. Bengal has been wronged,” CPI (M ) said leader Md Salim.
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