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J’khand tribal leaders blast TMC govt for President’s insult, BJP burns Mamata effigies
BJP leaders condemned Mamata Banerjee's TMC government for allegedly insulting President Droupadi Murmu, leading to protests across Jharkhand.
State BJP leaders on Sunday denounced the reported ‘insult’ to President Droupadi Murmu by the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government in West Bengal, as party men also burnt effigies of Banerjee at all the district headquarters across Jharkhand on Sunday evening.
President Droupadi Murmu herself said the venues for her event were changed repeatedly and finally, she was allowed at a location where Santhals could not come.
“The original venue was capable of accommodating 5 lakh people but they said it would be congesting. Someone doesn’t want Santhals to come to this event... for them to prosper, get educated or get stronger. Neither the CM nor any cabinet minister came. I am also a daughter of Bengal. Mamata Banerjee is like my younger sister... she must be angry with me .... but I have no complaint ...,” Murmu told the media in Siliguri on Saturday.
Leader of the opposition (LoP) in Jharkhand Assembly and the state’s first CM, Babulal Marandi described the West Bengal CM and her government’s behaviour with the President as ‘shameful’.
“Such attitude and behaviour with the daughter from the Santhali and tribal community who holds the topmost constitutional post in the country is painful for the entire country. Mamata Banerjee has not just violated the constitutional protocol in her arrogance of power but has also hurt the sentiments of tribals across the country. The entire country felt the pain evident in the President’s words,” Marandi told the media on Sunday.
Another former CM and Union minister Arjun Munda also condemned the Mamata Banerjee government, stating that the West Bengal government’s act was an open and blatant violation of the Constitution.
Former Jharkhand CM Champai Soren called the behaviour with the President unfortunate, painful, condemnable and unpardonable.
“Whenever the President comes to any state, the CM or cabinet minister welcomes her or him as per the established protocol. But it was broken in Siliguri where the President came to attend the 9th International Santhali Conclave. There was not even a banner to welcome the country’s first tribal woman President, her venue was changed repeatedly and there was no arrangement at the final venue. Was it a lapse or a deliberate humiliation?” Champai said in his social media posts.
Soren also reminded that this was nothing new for the TMC government in West Bengal. “Last year, their administration denied permission for my programme during Pata Binda Mela at Orgonda in Silda, Jhargram district. I realised the anti-tribal attitude of the Mamata Banerjee government then. But none could have thought they would also deny permission to an event at a particular venue where the President of India was the chief guest,” Champai said.
