Bengal a symbol of communal harmony: CM

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday alleged that a particular political party was trying to depict the clashes during Durga Puja and Muharram as “communal clashes” and insisted that they were the result of “personal rivalries”.

She emphasised that the festive season in Bengal had passed off “very peacefully”.

“There were one or two small incidents of clashes, but they were not communal in nature. They were triggered by personal enmities. Only a political party tried to paint them as communal clashes. This is false,” she said addressing a programme.

“Bengal has been a pilgrimage of communal harmony and it will remain so,” she added.

The BJP and the RSS have accused the ruling TMC in West Bengal of “provoking and supporting communal riots” in order to “appease a particular community”. “India will remain forever united. Rabindranath Tagore, who wrote the national anthem of the country, has clearly depicted how the country stood united from Punjab to Bengal,” the Chief Minister said.

Mamata Banerjee while addressing party leaders at the core committee meeting held at her residence after the Pujas had asked them to go to the people and spread the message of communal harmony. She had categorically said that Trinamool would counter the allegations made by BJP and RSS.

Meanwhile, RSS leaders in a press conference held last week had stated that its workers would go to people and tell them about the policy of appeasement pursued by the Mamata Banerjee government as part of vote bank politics.

BJP leaders alleged that members of a particular community had smashed Durga idols at Naihati and several other places in North 24 Parganas on the night of Navami last month but the administration could not arrest the members of a particular community involved in the matter because of their connection with the ruling party.

They further alleged that in South 24 Parganas Durga images were defaced on the night of Muharram in Kulpi. Despite complaints by local people, no action was taken against the members of a particular community. They also uploaded the photographs of broken idols on social media platforms. BJP alleged that in some pockets in Murshidabad Hindu women could not blow conch shells while performing pujas because of a reign of terror unleashed by the members of a particular community.

A scuffle broke out between BJP supporters and police on Hazra Road when the former tried to break the barrier and march towards Chief Minister’s house on Harish Chatterjee Street. They were protesting against the state government allegedly unduly shielding a particular community.

Banerjee had asked all her rank and file to go to their respective areas and spread the message of communal harmony and brotherhood. “We will not allow any forces to disturb the secular social fabric of Bengal. There are some who are trying to destabilise our society. Our workers should keep their eyes and ears open and resist any kind of communal violence,” she had said.