West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the Narendra Modi government for planning to organise a meeting of the NITI Aayog on Eid, which was celebrated on Saturday. Speaking at an Eid programme in Kolkata, Banerjee asked whether the Central government did not have any calendars at its offices.
“I wrote to them asking whether they have calendars in their offices or not. Our calendar clearly said that Eid would be a holiday on June 16. And I would not move out of my state on this day,” Banerjee said on Saturday, addressing a mammoth ceremony organised by Tipu Sultan Mosque in Kolkata’s Red Road.
The NITI Aayog meeting, which was to be held on Saturday, was later deferred to Sunday, after another chief minister, Chandrababu Naidu, of Andhra Pradesh, also raised objections. Banerjee, however, said she would attend the meeting to be held on Sunday.
Interestingly, during the ceremony, Banerjee spoke in Hindi, instead of Bengali. Historically, most Muslims in Kolkata speak Hindi as they had come to Kolkata more than 100 years back with Lucknow Nawab Wajid Ali Shah who was allegedly persecuted by the British. The Nawab settled in Kolkata’s Metiabruz and, with him, came many Muslims from Uttar Pradesh, who were given shelter by Bengali-speaking Hindus and Muslims in Kolkata. The 'migration' continued even after independence.
The heartland of Kolkata, since then, became dominated by Muslims and after partition, Kolkata’s demographics were disturbed once more with Bengali-speaking Muslims moving to Bangladesh. The Muslims from Bihar came and filled many houses vacated by the 'Bangladesh-bound' Muslims.
Banerjee on Saturday criticised those who accused her of being pro-Muslim. “It [the criticism] was a ploy on the part of people who would like to destabilise the religious balance of Bengal,” Banerjee said.
“Not only Eid day, I would also not move out of my state on Durga Puja or any other major Hindu or Muslim festival,” Banerjee declared.
Banerjee was flanked by Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with some Trinamool Congress MPs and clerics.
The chief minister stressed that she would continue with her policy on “uplifting” the Muslim community in the state irrespective of what her critics said.
“I am least bothered about it. Let them say whatever they would like to say,” Banerjee said.