Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress expressed satisfaction after the Calcutta High Court on Thursday permitted its harmony rally on January 22, coinciding with the Ram temple consecration, viewing the decision as a triumph over perceived “communal designs” by the saffron camp.
The high court did not grant senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s prayer for not allowing the Sampriti’ (harmony) rally to be led by West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on the same day due to concerns about potential unrest.
Adhikari’s counsel told the court that permission had been granted for 35 programmes in the city related to the consecration of the Ram temple, from 11 am to 5 pm on January 22.
The court also directed the West Bengal government to ensure that peace was maintained during the rally.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “We welcome the Calcutta High Court order regarding the rally. It is a tight slap for the BJP leaders who had moved the court trying to stop it. This is a victory of the people over the communal designs by the BJP.”
“They (BJP) are against the rally for harmony. It only reflects their mindset vying to create communal tensions in society. The saffron camp wants to divide the society and that is why they are opposing the rally,” he said.
Ghosh claimed that the rally is not related to the Ram Mandir inauguration, emphasising its association with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary on January 23 and Republic Day on January 26.
Senior TMC Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya also criticised the BJP for allegedly attempting to communalise and politicise a rally conducted for a public cause.
She asserted, “The rally has nothing to do with any political programme by the BJP. So what is the harm in conducting a harmony rally in the state? By opposing the rally, the BJP has exposed its communal designs.”
The court refrained from issuing any order on Adhikari’s request for the deployment of paramilitary forces in the state on that day.
In response to Ghosh’s remarks, the BJP claimed that the TMC government has a poor track record in handling communal disturbances.
BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya remarked, “Earlier we have seen the state getting engulfed in communal riots during Ram Navami processions.”
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar supported Adhikari’s decision to move court.
“The state government in its bid to appease a specific community time and again had taken steps which are against the Hindu community. We feel that this rally will be an attempt by the TMC to flare up communal passions. We are opposing this tendency,” he said.
Referring to communal riots during Ram Navami processions in March last year, the BJP emphasised concerns over potential communal passions allegedly being flared up by the TMC through the upcoming rally.
Critiquing both the BJP and the TMC, senior CPI (M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “Both the TMC and the BJP are trying to divert attention from the real issues of livelihood and unemployment.”
The Ram temple is scheduled to be inaugurated on January 22, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and over 6,000 attendees expected to participate in the programme.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced on Tuesday that she would lead a ‘rally for harmony’ in Kolkata on January 22, commencing from the Hazra crossing in south Kolkata after paying homage to Goddess Kali at the Kalighat temple.
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