New Delhi: Hitting out at the central government and UP government over alleged mismanagement at Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee remarked, “Maha Kumbh has turned into ‘Mrityu Kumbh’”.
She was speaking in West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday. Mamata reportedly said, “I rever 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?.”
BJP reacts strongly
In a sharp reaction to Mamata’s remark, BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari made an appeal to the Hindu and saint community to vehemently protest against the CM’s statement. “If you are a true Hindu, rise above politics and strongly oppose these words of Mamata Banerjee,” Adhikari pointed out.
The BJP leader 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.”
‘Will quit if…’
In a separate statement during the Assembly session, Mamata challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to prove accusations that she has links with Bangladeshi fundamentalists, adding that she would quit if the party can prove such claims. Mamata pointed out that she will lodge a complaint with Prime Minister Narendra Modi about “his MLAs” accusing her of “being hand in glove with Bangladeshi fundamentalists”. While speaking in the Bengal Assembly, the CM said that “freedom of speech does not give BJP MLAs the right to spread hatred and divide people”.
Adhikari blames Mamata
On Saturday, Adhikari had claimed that anti-national activities were high in some areas of the state and pinned the blamed on CM Mamata Banerjee for this. “There are some areas in Bengal where anti-national activities are high,” Adhikari was quoted as saying by ANI, while he spoke to reporters.
“In the last 2-3 months, many Bangladeshis, Rohingyas and extremists have been arrested by Assam Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police. There are 50-55 assembly constituencies and 30-35 police stations where the demography has changed… Mamata Banerjee is directly responsible for this. She has failed as a police minister (Home Minister) in Bengal,” he had pointed out.
The Bengal BJP leaders have been accusing Mamata’s government of allowing illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and Rohingya migrants to settle down in the State. Adhikari led a team of BJP legislators on Tuesday who staged a dharna on the premises of the West Bengal Assembly to voice their protest against “appeasement politics by the Mamata government”.
