Trinamool’s youth wing launches anti-BJP protests across state

Kolkata: Trinamool Youth Congress (TMYC) held protests in every block on Tuesday condemning the state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar’s allegedly insulting remark regarding Swami Vivekananda.

Demanding an apology from Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda for Majumdar’s comments, the youth wing of the party, headed by its president Saayoni Ghosh led a protest march in North Kolkata from Shyambazar five-point crossing which ended at the ancestral house of Swamiji at 105, Vivekananda Road. The members of the Trinamool Youth Congress, including Ghosh, played football on the city street. Many of the youth leaders were seen carrying a football in their hands as a token protest against the remarks of Majumdar.

“Around 48 hours have lapsed but the Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar is yet to express his apologies. He has absolutely no remorse for his statement which was a disrespect to Swami Vivekananda. There will be rallies in every town and every block of Bengal. We are demanding an answer from Amit Shah and JP Nadda whether they endorse the statement of Majumdar, or if they are going to ask him to apologize for the same,” Shashi Panja said.

“How can an educated person like Majumdar make such a remark regarding Swamiji. It proves that some amount of hypocrisy is left in him. BJP leaders get agitated when they hear the word ‘football’ as it reminds them of the goals we had scored against them in the 2021 Bengal Assembly elections, and other elections. BJP is targeting 35 seats in Lok Sabha polls. If their leaders make such a statement the BJP may end up winning three and half seats. Swamiji, Rabindranath, Vidyasagar do not belong to BJP and hence Bengal does not belong to BJP,” Saayoni Ghosh said.

She further said: “Swamiji never said that don’t read Gita and play football. He had mentioned Karma Yoga. Gita has said that the philosophy of Hinduism lies in action, not in mere bookish knowledge. If one intends to understand an intense subject like Gita one has to be physically ready. Physical fitness is most important. BJP is dragging Gita into politics and often shows disrespect to Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. Trinamool Congress will fight that politically but don’t drag in the icons of Bengal into politics. Our fight will continue.”

A video went viral on Sunday evening in which Majumdar said, “Bengal had been the cradle of Bhakti movement and espoused ‘Sanatan dharma’ for ages but got derailed for a while due to the Leftists. Those who rate football higher than Gita are all Leftist products. They prove that scarce knowledge is a dangerous thing. Bengal would now follow the right path from today (Gita reading event on December 24)”. Majumdar later told reporters on Monday that he had meant “present-day Leftists and TMC should not teach us about the ideals of Swamiji”. Majumdar alleged his comments on football and Gita were twisted by the Trinamool Congress. TMC leader and state Cabinet minister Sashi Panja had alleged that by making such comments, Majumdar disrespected Swami Vivekananda. “@DrSukantaBJP’s derogatory comments on Vivekananda solidifies the truth of BJP’s lack of comprehension towards Bengal. Today Trinamool Youth Congress will protest in every block condemning the crass attempt of BOHIRAGOTOS to disregard Bengal’s culture. #BJPInsultsVivekananda,” TMC posted on X.

“DrSukantaBJP’s audacious attempt to misinterpret the words of Swamiji is a testament to his lack of cultural sensitivity,” senior party leader Chandrima Bhattacharya said.

Bratya Basu in a post on X said: “The silence from @BJP4India camp over @DrSukantaBJP’s derogatory remarks is deafening.”