West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) "is anti-women" as it talks about Lord Ram but not about Goddess Sita. Banerjee's statement came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Ram temple in Ayodhya and led the rituals of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony there.
Banerjee, who spearheaded the TMC’s ‘Sanhati Rally’ on the day of Ram temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony, said, “They (BJP) talk about Lord Ram, but what about Goddess Sita? She was all along with Lord Ram during his exile. They don't speak about her as they are anti-women."
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"We are worshippers of Goddess Durga, so they should not try to lecture us about religion," the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief was quoted by PTI as saying in Kolkata on Monday.
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As the grand consecration ceremony took place at Ayodhya Ram temple, Mamata Banerjee began the all-faith harmony rally in Kolkata on Monday. The TMC chief, accompanied by religious leaders of various faiths and party leaders, began the 'Sanghati March' from Hazra More.
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Ayodhya Ram Mandir ceremony: Mamata Banerjee began the all-faith harmony rally in Kolkata on Monday. (X/TMC)
Clad in her trademark white and blue bordered cotton sari with a shawl wrapped around her neck, Banerjee greeted people and onlookers on both sides of the road with folded hands. "As thousands of people join this rally uniting all communities, the message 'Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava' resonates across the city!" the TMC tweeted.
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Banerjee began the rally after offering puja and prayers at the iconic Kalighat temple in the city. During the Sanhati Rally, she also made a visit to a church at Park Circus "symbolising shared commitment to unity", the TMC said in a tweet.