Bengal is not UP, won't allow this here: Mamata on assault on food vendors at Gita recital

Krishnanagar: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday tore into the BJP over the assault on two food vendors at a recent Bhagavad Gita recital event in Kolkata, asserting that the state would not tolerate intimidation, communal division or attempts to dictate what people should eat.

"This is West Bengal, not Uttar Pradesh," she declared, vowing stringent action against those responsible.

Addressing a public meeting in Krishnanagar in Nadia district, Banerjee said all the accused had been arrested within hours.

"They beat up poor patty sellers. We arrested everyone last night. In every gathering, hawkers sell some food or the other. You have beaten a poor hawker. I will not spare anyone who harasses the poor," she said.

Linking the incident to what she described as an atmosphere of fear created in the name of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, she alleged, "From SIR to the harassment of poor vendors, everything is part of their conspiracy before elections." The CM condemned what she said was the BJP's attempt to "import a culture of communal division" and weaponise religious texts for political mobilisation.

"I do not believe in communal divisions. I respect all religions. What is the need to hold a public meeting just to read the Gita? We all read and recite Gita. Those who pray to God or seek blessings from Allah do so in their hearts," she said.

Taking a pointed jab at those "chanting 'Gita, Gita' for politics," Banerjee added, "I want to ask them what did Sri Krishna say about dharma? Dharma means purity of intention, humanity and peace. Dharma does not mean hatred or divisiveness. We all recite the Gita at home. God resides in our hearts."

Accusing the BJP of trying to "destroy Bengal", she charged, "They want to capture the state and stop people from speaking Bengali." She alleged that Bengalis are being harassed in multiple states for speaking their mother tongue.

"You have simply neglected Bengal and tortured people for speaking Bengali. In Odisha, some people from Nadia are still confined for speaking Bengali. In UP and Delhi, just for speaking Bengali, people are being tortured and sent to Bangladesh. A pregnant woman was sent to Bangladesh just for speaking Bengali," she claimed.

Banerjee also mounted a sweeping attack on the BJP's interpretation of Bengal's icons.

"Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, who wrote Vande Mataram, is now 'Bankim Da'-as if they share tea with him. Master Da Surya Sen is being called Master!. They claim Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is not a national leader." "They don't respect Mahatma Gandhi. Today a BJP leader said Khudiram Bose was a terrorist. Raja Ram Mohan Roy is being called a British agent. Vidyasagar's bust was vandalised. Yesterday, someone said Matangini Hazra was a Muslim. Do you even know Bengal?" she added.

Reiterating that her government would protect personal freedoms, Banerjee warned, "Remember, BJP will not allow consumption of non-veg. It is your choice whether you want to eat non-veg or not. But I will not allow anyone to interfere in the matters of Adivasis, minorities or tapasilis." The CM declared that her government would never permit detention camps in the state.

"This is Bengal, not UP. We will not allow detention camps here. As long as we are in power, no such camp will be allowed to come up," she added.

Kolkata Police on Wednesday night arrested three men for allegedly assaulting two vendors — one from Topsia in the city and another from Arambagh in Hooghly district-during the 'Paanch Lokkho Konthe Gita Paath' (Gita recitation in five lakh voices) at Brigade Parade Ground on December 7.

The vendors had gone to the venue to sell chicken patties when they were allegedly attacked. The accused reportedly threw away their stock and forced them to perform sit-ups while holding their ears. A video of the incident went viral on social media.

Police said the arrests were made after verifying video footage and other evidence. Two complaints had been filed at Maidan police station.