At Ladies’ Park, Didi meets constituents of ‘mini India’

Kolkata: "Election is the festival of democracy and not autocracy," said CM Mamata Banerjee at a community meet at Ladies' Park in Bhowanipore where representatives from different communities had gathered on Sunday evening. Speaking before a packed audience, Banerjee urged those present to remain united and carry her message back to members of their respective communities.

Voters and representatives of Christian, Muslim, ISKCON, Sindhi, Gujarati, Jain, Sikh and Bihari communities were present. The venue was decorated with Trinamool Congress flags, and people began entering the park from around 3.30 pm. The first three rows were reserved for community representatives, including several priests from churches.



Banerjee arrived around 6 pm, when the park was already full. She greeted those present with folded hands and met representatives seated in the front rows. She then walked towards the main gate to greet local residents. Although a chair had been arranged for her on the dais, she chose instead to sit in front of the audience with a hand microphone and began her speech by apologising for the delay, saying she had come directly from Tarakeswar.

In her address, Banerjee alleged that around 300 nuns had their names deleted during the SIR process. She also claimed that voters from Muslim, Bihari and Gujarati communities had been removed from the roll without any reason. Referring to the debate over the women's reservation bill, she accused the BJP of trying to divide people on the basis of caste, creed and community.

She also criticised recent raids and naka checking, saying ordinary people were facing severe harassment. Banerjee alleged that even the Russian consulate had been troubled in the name of checking and claimed that an artist returning from work had also been harassed. "Are they running a country? This can't go on for long," she said.

Addressing members of the Gujarati community, Banerjee questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah had remained silent when Indian migrants were allegedly deported from the United States in chains and handcuffs. She accused the BJP of trying to capture Bengal by force and alleged that central forces, money and muscle power were being used in the state because of political fear.

Banerjee further claimed that 32 lakh deleted voters had already been restored to the rolls and said the remaining names would be included soon. She assured the gathering that people of all castes, creeds and religions could practise their faith freely in Bengal and said she had personally attended many community functions to strengthen social harmony.

After her speech, representatives from Christian, Muslim, Sindhi and Jain communities voiced support for Banerjee and said they hoped to see her return as chief minister for a fourth term. Rev. Martine, representing the Christian community, said, "We are with you, Didi, and we will all pray for your victory this time too." The hour-long meeting ended at 7 pm with chants of "Joy Bangla" from the crowd.
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