Nervousness is telling !
Rattled Mamata finally calls herself a ‘Hindu’
New Delhi: Showing for once that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's inclusive policies guided by the principle of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Viswas' continues to attract minorities including Christians into the party fold, a prominent Christian leader Father Rodney Borneo of Calcutta Archdiocese joined the saffron outfit on Tuesday, March 9.
"You are welcome to our party.....," said state BJP president Dilip Ghosh welcoming the new entrant.
Sources said Father Borneo tendered resignation from the priesthood to Archbishop Thomas D’Souza. "....I plan to work for the BJP," said Father Borneo, who has also tendered resignation as principal of Loyola High School, a popular missionary-run educational institute.
BJP leaders said Father Borneo was also close to Trinamool Congress leadership and had accompanied Mamata Banerjee during her visit to the Vatican to attend St. Teresa’s canonization in September 2016.
Father Borneo is a known face among Christian minorities in Kolkata’s Kidderpore area.
Christians are a microscopic minority in Mamata Banerjee-ruled West Bengal but they have some sizable presence in some pockets. Moreover, due to their education background, Christians can influence voters especially among the educated lot.
Of the estimated 91,276,115 population, Christian population in the state is mere 6,50,000 making it less than one per cent (only 0.72 percent).
In Kerala, recently the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church urged its followers to vote for BJP leader R Balashankar. It was also given out that Balashankar had made the right and timely intervention and could help save a 1,000-year-old church in Kerala’s Alappuzha district from demolition.
Balashankar is seeking election from the Chenganuru constituency, the seat held now by the CPI-M.
It is worth mentioning that in January this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met three eminentIndian cardinals - Cardinal Oswald Gracias of the Latin-rite Church, Cardinal George Alencherry, major archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, and Cardinal Baselios Cleemis of the Syro-Malankara Church — denoting BJP re-establishing strong links with Christians.
The BJP runs a coalition regime in Christian-stronghold Nagaland along with regional party, NDPP. In 2018 assembly polls, the saffron party could win as many as 12 seats of the 20 assemblies it fought for 60-member House.
 |
| PM met Christian leaders |
Rattled Mamata finally calls herself a ‘Hindu’, recites Chandipath at Nandigram
Kolkata/Nandigram : What makes Trinamool Congress supremo, Didi, nervous about Nandigram?
“It is the fear of the demon that is inside her mind,” says Amit Malviya of BJP commenting on gross minority appeasement politics of Mamata Banerjee during last ten years and now the Trinanool Congress chief falling back on temple run or displaying her Hindu antecedent.
The BJP reactions came close on the heels Mamata Banerjee threw up challenge to the saffron
party leaders for debate with her Hinduism and competitions on reciting various Mantras.
Of course, finally, she has to play up her Hindu and ‘Banerjee surname’ cards. “Ami o Hindu gharer meye (I was also born into a Hindu family),” said Mamata on Tuesday, March 9, during her visit to high profile Nandigram constituency, where the Chief Minister is now set to take on BJP nominee Suvendu Adhikari.
“Do not play Hindu card with me....first you have to tell whether you are a good Hindu,” said she making it clear that the Trinamool supremo realises that her blatant Muslim-appeasement card too has a limitation. And that she would need Hindu votes to win Nandigram and also to retain power in West Bengal.
Mamata recited Chandipath also performed puja at a local temple at Nandigram perhaps forgetting that her party has often criticised BJP leaders for their temple visit.
“Finally, this is a good realisation (on the part of Mamata),” caustically remarked Amit Malviya, BJP IT cell chief.
“Politics of Mamata Banerjee has run its course, she realises it (the adverse fallout of minority appeasement). But that is too late now,” Malviya said.
In fact, on ground assessment at Nandigram suggests there are multiple factors those are apparently going against Mamata Banerjee's candidature in the politically sensitive constituency.
The Chief Minister had deputed senior colleagues Subrata Mukherjee, Dola Sen and Subrata Bakshi to make on the spot visit and assess ground situation.
Reportedly, Subrata Mukherjee, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister, has submitted a report identifying some factors those could lead to major embarrassment for the state Chief Minister, who had ousted the Marxists in a historic battle in 2011.
Sources said infighting among Trinamool rank and file in Nandigram, demoralised workforce after Suvendu Adhikari's exit and allegation of corruption at the local level are a few such factors.
The Trinamool camp is also worried as promise of jobs made to Nandigram natives in 2011 and 2016 by Mamata Banerjee has not been fulfilled.
On the day, the BJP decided to field him against Mamata Banerjee at Nandigram, her onetime lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari sought to remind the voters of Nandigram and other constituencies that it was the Chief Minister who had denied Durga puja and Saraswati Puja celebrations to Hindu devotees.
"Do not you all remember that it was she who had prevented Goddess Durja immersion ? It was she who stopped Saraswati Puja in Uluberia....Mone achhey toh (Don't you all remember)?," the renowned mass-level leader from Nandigram region, Suvendu, had said.
ends
No comments:
Post a Comment