Bangla Hunt/ Pallab Ghosh
Mamata on ‘Jai Sri Ram’ – Lookback
1. Those chanting “Jai Sri Ram” are not from Bengal, they are outsiders
2. Will skin those who chant the slogan
3. Chanting the slogan will not be tolerated
4. Called the slogan an abuse
5. “Jai Sri Ram” is not culture in Bengal
6. Counter the slogan with “Jai Hind”
However, the last one is actually an insult to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose as he not only beleived in secularism but had temple, mosque, gurudwara and church in his Azad Hind Fauz camps.
Let’s come the story…
Trinamool supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee takes a 360 degree turn on her “Jai Sri Ram” jive. Before going into details, lets first know what did Banerjee said on this issue today. She said, “I am not against the slogan as I know it’s a greeting”. Mamata Banerjee said recalling the famous song, ‘Ragupati Ragagav Raja Ram, Patita Pavan Sita Ram’. She said, “I am against the way BJP is making it into a political slogan and threatening people”.
The argument well taken. Accepted that her protest is against the way BJP has been using the greetings “Jai Sri Ram” into a slogan.
Now, certain instances from the past do not compliment Mamata Banerjee’s recent remarks. She has perhaps forgotten that BJP did not coin “Jai Sri Ram” slogan overnight. It was done much before the ‘Babri Masjid’ fiasco. It became a slogan during the Ram Rath Yatra post Babri Masjid demolition. Why then Mamata Banerjee joined BJP after that and promoted the party in Bengal.
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