Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister lamented Tuesday that the ‘policy of divide and rule’ and ‘politics of isolation’ have created a situation where the country is ‘not fine’. Mamata Banerjee asked people to unite to change the situation.
Banerjee participated in Eid-ul-Fitr prayers held on a rain-drenched Red Road here. The chief minister appealed to the people to fight against the ‘power which is trying to divide the country and oppress the people’.
Banerjee however, did not name her main rival, the BJP. She has often accused the BJP of trying to divide people on the basis of religion for electoral gains. Banerjee quoted the lines from a song sung by musical icon Lata Mangeshkar to drive home her point, “Ishwar allah tero naam, sabko sanmati de bhagwan” (Ishwar, Allah they are all your names; Kindly bestow wisdom on all, Lord!).
More than 15,000 people were present at the prayer programme. “The situation in the country is not fine. The policy of divide and rule and politics of isolation going on in the country are not correct. Do not be scared and keep on fighting,” Banerjee told the gathering.
“I am happy that after a gap of two years, you have assembled for this historic Eid prayer at Red Road. This does not happen anywhere. Politics of isolation is going on in India and that is not correct. There are jealous people who keep on telling lies to create division among the Hindus and the Muslims. Do not be scared and keep on fighting,” Banerjee told the gathering.
“I promise today, as long as I am alive, I will fight for the cause of the people whether they are Muslims or Hindus or Sikhs or Jains. I get strength from you to fight,” she asserted.
In an apparent reference to the BJP, the West Bengal CM said, “They (without taking name of the saffron party) are jealous because of the unity among people In Bengal and that is why they abuse me. They will keep on humiliating me but I am not scared and know how to fight,” Banerjee stated.
Banerjee also referred to the BJP’s rhetoric of ‘achhe din’. She assured people at the gathering of ‘real `achhe din’ (good days), not the ‘jhootha ache din’ (fake good days) as promised by the BJP. “Your good days will also come. I do not want ‘jhoothe achhe din’ (fake good days),” she said.