Accusing Mamata Banerjee of neglecting Netaji’s memorial in Delhi factually incorrect: TMC

The 81st-anniversary celebration of the historic “Bharat Chhodo Andolan” has triggered a fresh political row between the BJP and Trinamool Congress with each party trading barbs against the other.

A controversy brewed after senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad in Delhi said that Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee never paid a visit to the Netaji memorial in Delhi to show respect.

TMC was prompt enough to refute Prasad’s allegation and issued a press statement mentioning the steps the Bengal government had undertaken to show respect to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

“Accusing Chairperson Mamata Banerjee of neglecting Netaji’s memorial in Delhi is not just factually inaccurate, but reveals a startling lack of understanding. Contrary to BJP MP @rsprasad’s claims, the Bengal government declared Netaji’s birth anniversary as a state holiday to honour his memory. Every year, on January 23, Mamata Banerjee personally visits his statue at Maidan and offers heartfelt floral tributes. Furthermore, the State government took the proactive step by declassifying 64 files related to Bose, along with 8 DVDs containing over 12,000 pages of valuable historical information,” reads the press statement issued by the Trinamool Congress.

Trinamool Congress unequivocally said that it was the BJP that had shown disrespect to Netaji.

“If anything, it is the BJP-led Central Government’s outright rejection of a proposed tableau on Netaji and the INA for the Republic Day parade in 2022, without offering any justification, that leaves many questioning their commitment to honoring the freedom fighter’s legacy,” Trinamool Congress tweeted.

Senior Trinamool Congress leader Shashi Panja said: “BJP MP Prasad should not lecture us on Nationalism and freedom. They should not lecture the people of Bengal. It is the soil from where freedom was fought. It is BJP leaders who are coming to Bengal and saying very wrong things about the heroes of Bengal ~ Subhash Chandra Bose, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda.”

“You (Prasad) have accused Mamata Banerjee of dynasty politics (Parivartantra). How could he say so? There are ministers in your cabinet Anurag Thakur, Jyotiraditya Sindhia. We have seen dynasties associated with cricket and politics even in BJP. Don’t put a finger at us. You have accused Banerjee of appeasement. BJP has spoken about ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’. Whose development (Vikas) has taken place. Atrocities were carried on women and Dalits across the country. Has the Union government taken any steps? Banerjee’s government on the other hand ensured that all the people are looked after cutting across the political lines,” Panja stated further.

Mamata Banerjee on the anniversary of “Bharat Chhodo Andolan” paid homage to everyone who had given everything for freedom. “Today, on the anniversary of ‘Bharat Chhodo Andolan’, I pay my homage to everyone who has given everything for the freedom of this great country. We must always uphold their great ideals of harmony and humanity to ensure a healthy, beautiful, promising, united, tolerant, strong India in the future. The idea of India should not die. Jai Hind! Jai INDIA!” Banerjee tweeted.