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Police complaint lodged against TMC MP for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments

The complaint against Kalyan Banerjee was lodged with Golabari police station in Howrah by Bharatiya Janata Youth Morcha leader Ashish Jaiswal

Published on: Jan 11, 2021, 15:29:26 IST
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A police complaint was lodged against Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee on Sunday for allegedly making a controversial statement linking Goddess Sita and Hathras rape victim.

TMC Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee. (File photo)
TMC Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee. (File photo)

While addressing a gathering at Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas district, Banerjee reportedly said past Saturday, “Sita went up to Ram and said, ‘I am fortunate that I was abducted by Ravan. Had it been your chelas (followers), who wear saffron head bands, my fate would have been the same as that of the rape victim in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh’.”

The BJP alleged that the MP’s speech had hurt Hindu sentiments and called it the TMC’s appeasement politics. The party’s IT cell chief, Amit Malviya, tweeted, “TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee used derogatory language against Sita mata. Claims that she told Bhagwaan Ram she was glad , “Thank God, I was abducted by Ravan and not by your chelas or else my fate would have been same as Hathras victim!” Is trampling on Hindu sentiment Pishi’s idea of appeasement?”

The complaint against Banerjee was lodged with Golabari police station in Howrah by Bharatiya Janata Youth Morcha leader Ashish Jaiswal. “The language used by MP Kalyan Banerjee has insulted and humiliated religious sentiments of crores of Hindus not only in West Bengal but also in India. World over Hindus worship Goddess Sita,” Jaiswal wrote in his complaint. HT has a copy of Jaiswal’s complaint.

Top police officials of Howrah refused to comment. Senior TMC leaders also refused to comment, saying that only Banerjee could comment on the issue as he was the one who made those statements. Banerjee, however, refused to take calls and didn’t respond to messages.

Meanwhile, the TMC has accused the BJP of insulting Bengali sentiments over Union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat’s recent statement. Speaking to media persons, the Union minister, who is the state as a part of the BJP’s poll campaign, said, “Whenever there was any injustice or atrocity in the world, the first voice was raised from Bengal. Rallies were brought out when the US attacked Vietnam. There were protests in Kolkata if there was any incident in Delhi. But now, when anyone says Jai Shri Ram in Kolkata and his house is set on fire and innocent workers (BJP workers) are sent to jail, then the neighbour [also] doesn’t say a word. The DNA has changed.”

The TMC hit back, saying that those who think Bengali’s DNA has weakened are living in fool’s paradise. “This is highly insulting. Those who think that Bengalis have forgotten to protest and their DNA has weakened are living in fool’s paradise. The people of Bengal are against communalism and hence hate BJP,” said Firhad Hakim, state minister and senior TMC leader.

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