West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the remarks of Shubhendu Adhikari in which the Leader of the Opposition had said a day ago that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power, the Muslim MLAs of the Trinamool Congress would be excluded from the West Bengal Assembly. The Chief Minister accused the party of bringing “fake Hindutva” in the state. He also alleged that the BJP is violating the rights of the people.
On this issue in the assembly, Banerjee said, “Your imported Hinduism does not support our ancient Vedas or our saints.” How can you deny the rights of Muslims as a citizen? What else is this forgery? You have brought fake Hindutva. ”
Banerjee’s comment came in response to the officer’s statement in which he said that if the BJP comes to power, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Muslim MLAs will be “excluded from the assembly”.
Banerjee also expressed concern over BJP’s behavior with minorities. He said, “I have the right to protect Hinduism but it will not happen in your way. Please do not play ‘Hindu card’. ”
His comment was in response to the officer’s statement that the Trinamool would exclude the Congress from the Hindu population power. This remark was called discriminatory by the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister also retaliated on the BJP for criticizing his party leaders.
Reacting to the BJP MLA’s remarks, he said, “If I cannot comment on the statements of your leaders, how can you comment on the comments of our leaders outside the House?” We have the right to defend our beliefs. ”
Banerjee also clarified on the occasion that the Trinamool Congress has advised some party members including Farhad Hakim, Humayun Kabir and Madan Mitra not to make such comments that may be considered unfair. He insisted, “This is the internal matter of our party.”
Regarding the importance of unity, Banerjee said, “We are a secular, pluralistic nation. Everyone has the right to follow their religion. The duties of the majority are to protect the minorities. We should protect the sovereignty and secularism of our country. ”
In his address, Banerjee insisted that the Trinamool Congress respects all religions and is committed to maintain peace and harmony. He confirmed his commitment to secularism, saying, “I love all religions and we condemn the efforts of any political party to spread hatred against any community.”
Banerjee accused the BJP of attempting to disturb the assembly. He claimed, “The BJP had planned to create a ruckus in the House.” He said that the BJP members extended the House and tore the paper as a protest. He called for the honor of the legislative process, urged the members to listen to each other and maintain the dignity of the House.
Banerjee said, “This house belongs to everyone. During the proceedings, democratic values and mutual respect should be taken care of. ”
The Chief Minister also highlighted the demographic diversity of the state, which mentioned that 23 percent of the population is from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities and 33 percent of the Muslim population. He said, “We should protect all communities. Human values are above religious boundaries. ”