NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee took a vitriolic dig at Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath over the ongoing Maha Kumbh, saying the spiritual gathering in Prayagraj has turned into “Mrityu Kumbh”.
The West Bengal CM claimed there was a disparity in the arrangements made for attendees in the Maha Kumbh and that the administration lacked proper planning.
“This is ‘Mrityu Kumbh’…I respect Maha Kumbh, I respect the holy Ganga Maa. But there is no planning…How many people have been recovered?…for the rich, the VIP, there are systems available to get camps (tents) for as high as Rs 1 lakh. For the poor, there are no arrangements at Kumbh…stampede situation is common in a ‘mela’ but it is important to make arrangements. What planning did you make?” she was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Reacting sharply to Mamata’s remark, BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari appealed to the Hindu and saint community to strongly protest the CM’s statement.
“If you are a true Hindu, rise above politics and strongly oppose these words of Mamata Banerjee,” Adhikari said.
“I appeal to the Hindu community, saint community to register a strong protest. A little while ago, on the Floor of the House (State Assembly), West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said that this is not Maha Kumbh but ‘Mrityu Kumbh’. Raise your voice against this attack on Hindu, on Maha Kumbh,” he added.
Addressing state assembly on Tuesday, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief incessantly launched a massive broadside against the BJP on a range of issues including the deportation of illegal Indians from the United States and ongoing turmoil in neighbouring Bangladesh.
The Bengal CM said that the Centre “should have sent our transport planes to bring back deportees from the US”.
“I don’t speak on issues of national security or foreign policy, but bringing back deportees from the US in chains is shameful,” the Bengal CM added.
Ruling out any links with Bangladeshi fundamentalists, Mamata said if BJP could prove her connection with Bangladeshi fanatics, she would resign.
The chief minister accused the state unit of the BJP of using religion to serve its political interests and also condemned charges accusing her of being a member of the Muslim League.
Referring to a sit-in by the BJP MLAs on the West Bengal assembly premises, Mamata said the BJP leaders were spreading canards that they are not allowed to speak in the Bengal assembly.
“Freedom of speech does not mean to speak about communalism or instigate against any religion. You are selling a particular religion…I have seen some videos here he (LoP Suvendu Adhikari) said that he is speaking about Hindu Dharma and that’s why he has been suspended from the House. I never talk about instigating any religious matter.”
She further said that BJP MLAs were afraid of facing her and that’s why they boycotted the House whenever she spoke.
Earlier in the day, BJP legislators led by Suvendu Adhikari staged a sit-in on the premises of the West Bengal Assembly in protest against alleged appeasement politics by the Mamata Banerjee government.