Kolkata: In a new development to the list of lockdown dates, the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led government in West Bengal has added August 5 to the existing ones. This has angered the West Bengal unit of the Bharata Janata Party (BJP). The saffron party has taken a swipe at the West Bengal government. It has demanded that August 5 be removed from the list as on that day the ‘bhoomi pujan’ in Ayodhya for the construction of Ram temple is scheduled
The BJP also said that the TMC had changed lockdown dates for the Eid festival. Now it must do the same for the Ayodhya programme.
Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said the decision (August 5 for lockdown) reflects the ruling party’s strategy to turn ‘West Bengal into Bangladesh’. He sought change of the date like it was done keeping in mind the Eid festival August 1. He said the change must be done so that people of West Bengal could join countrymen in celebrating Ram temple ‘’bhoomi pujan’.
“We had no problem with state government changing dates for the lockdown due to the Eid festival. Similarly the sentiment of the Hindus over the construction of Ram Mandir should not be ignored,” Ghosh said.
The West Bengal government had earlier selected August 2 along with other dates in the month for bi-weekly complete shutdown to break chain of COVID-19 transmission. However, (Sunday) was later taken out of the list keeping in mind the festivity.
Now August 5, 8, 16, 17, 23, 24 and 31 are the dates when West Bengal will go for total lockdown to check rapid spread of virus.
“A lockdown August 5 will not allow a suitable atmosphere for those who want to celebrate the historic day of ‘bhoomi pujan’ for the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. This mindset of the TMC government is a reflection of its strategy to turn West Bengal into Bangladesh,” stated Ghosh.
The TMC leadership termed BJP’s assertions as ‘baseless’ and urged it to refrain from communal politics amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Everyone should keep in mind that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Bengal and India. This is not a time to pursue communal politics. In Bengal, we have witnessed harmony and brotherhood among all religions and cultures for decades; we should not spoil it,” TMC senior leader and minister, Firhad Hakim said.
