Parakram Diwas 2021, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s 125th birth anniversary celebration took a political turn when Mamata Banerjee, The Chief Minister of West Bengal refused to speak after the crowd simply raised slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
On Saturday, an event was organized to celebrate Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s 125th birth anniversary in Kolkata at Victoria Memorial. The Bengal CM announced that she felt, “insulted and humiliated” at the event organized by the central government.
Ms Banerjee was angered after a part of the audience raised slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Modi-Modi’ when she was called on the stage to address the gathering. Mamata Banerjee started her speech by saying the dignity of government programs must be maintained because they are not events of any one political party. “I think there should be some dignity when a government program is being held. This is not the program of one political party. This is a program of all parties and the people,” she said.
Further, Mamata Banerjee thanked the central government to hold the event on Netaji’s birth anniversary and took a time out to gather for Netaji. She especially thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his presence at Victoria Memorial, Kolkata. “I am thankful to the prime minister and the Union cultural ministry for holding this program on Netaji in Kolkata,” she said.
Mamata Banerjee went ahead and spoke few words in Hindi, “Lekin kisi ko aamantrit kar ke beijjat karna aap logon ko shobha nahi deta. (It is unbecoming of you all to insult someone after inviting her to an event). In protest of this, I am not speaking anything more. Jai Hind. Jai Bangla.” She did not give a speech, but thanked everyone and said “Jai Hind, Jai Bangla” and took her seat next to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
WHY SUCH OUTBURST?
Earlier, Mamata Banerjee had led a rally from Shyam Bazaar to Red Road in the city of Kolkata and paid a surprise visit to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s ancestral residence at Elgin Road. There she criticized the Centre’s decision to announce 23rd January as ‘Parakram Diwas’.
PUBLIC REACTION TO THE OUTBURST
TMC MP Mahua Moitra said, “This government has completely violated all sanctity of a multi-faith democracy. In an official event, you can’t have religious chants as long as this is a secular democracy. And it is only lumpen, uneducated people like in BJP who can defend this kind of nonsense.”
Reacting to her outburst, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij claimed in a tweet, “Jai Shri Ram to #MamtaBanerjee is like a red rag to a bull that is why she stopped her speech at Victoria Memorial today.”
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