Kolkata: With the state assembly elections a few months away, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee addressed a large gathering of Bengali Muslims, at an event organised by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind (JUH) at the Shahid Minar on Thursday.
Speaking at the rally, Banerjee launched an attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government at the centre, and touched on the debate of growing intolerance in the country.
“Whether the statement made by actor Aamir Khan is wrong or right is not the issue. He is within his rights to make the statement. His wife has said something and he has spoken about it. Now he is being asked to leave the country as if the country is theirs, the country is for all. No one has a right to say that you leave the country, you go to Pakistan,” Banerjee said.
“An atmosphere is being created where people are not allowed to freely voice their opinion,” the chief minister said, revealing that even her member of parliament Mithun Chakraborty is being threatened.
“He (Chakraborty) is a MP of my party, but he is also afraid to talk to me freely. It is impossible to understand why they are showing such valour, knowing very well that the people of this country will not tolerate the same,” questioned Banerjee.
She also challenged the BJP government to put her behind bars in the ongoing chit fund scam that has rocked the state.
“If they put me behind bars I will happily go and spend time in people jail. But do not try to threaten me,” she added.
“Our rally will espouse national unity and the end of intolerance in the country. We will speak out against the recent incidents of intolerance. We demand immediate reservation for Muslims,” Siddiqullah Chowdhury said.
However, the chief minister’s address brought in lot of possibilities in the state’s political circle, where there is talk of a pre-poll alliance with Trinamool Congress (TMC) and JUH.
“Back room talks have reached a point where the alliance is certainly a possibility. The two leaders will discuss the possible time to announce the same,” a TMC insider said.
State BJP leaders have hit back, questioning why Banerjee had to speak about intolerance at a rally for the minority community.
“The people of the state will judge what made Banerjee remain silent for so many days and speak about intolerance from that particular dais,” Shamik Bhattacharyya, the lone BJP legislator in the state, said.
