“This is a blatant desecration of the holy shrine,” said Abhishek Banerjee of Trinamool.
Kolkata:
The Trinamool Congress and the BJP in West Bengal are attacking each other for alleged disrespect towards Thakurbari Temple, a shrine of the electorally important Matua community, which both the TMC and BJP have been trying to reach.
Trinamool alleges that security personnel associated with BJP leader and union minister Shantanu Thakur entered the premises with their shoes on and assaulted women. Senior TMC leader and the party’s national secretary general Abhishek Banerjee said that they (BJP) have violated Thakurbari’s sanctity in the name of politics, condemning it as a “shameful display of force”.
“I strongly condemn @Shantanu_bjp’s outrageous act of storming into Thakurbari Temple with CISF, disrespecting the premise by wearing shoes and physically attacking female devotees. They have violated the sanctity of Thakurbari in the name of the politics. Shameful display of power!” he tweeted.
I strongly condemn @Shantanu_bjp‘s outrageous act of storming Thakurbari Temple with CISF, disrespecting the premise by wearing shoes and physically attacking female devotees.
They have violated Thakurbari’s sanctity in the name of politics.
Shameful display of power! pic.twitter.com/5uDFA3GGzz— Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) June 11, 2023
“Women who gathered at Thakurbari Temple to say their prayers have come forward and testified that it was the Central Force, on the orders of @BJP4India MP @Shantanu_bjp, who wreaked havoc. The CISF went entered the temple grounds with their shoes on, battered women, snatched their jewels, and used unparliamentary language, showing a total disregard for religious sentiment and decency.This is a blatant desecration of the shrine, a gross violation of women’s dignity and a slap in the face to the peace-loving Matua community,” said TMC spokesman Kunal Ghosh.
LoP @SuvenduWB‘s attempt to pin the blame on the Trinamool Congress is INCREDIBLE!
Women who had gathered at Thakurbari Temple to say their prayers have come forward and testified that it was the Central Force, on @BJP4India MP @Shantanu_bjp‘s order, which wreaked havoc.… https://t.co/b3GG6nuXwV
— Kunal Ghosh (@KunalGhoshAgain) June 11, 2023
Trinamool Congress shared photos of the alleged disturbance at the temple and said on Twitter, “Even women are not spared when it comes to @BJP4Bengal’s politics of hate and violence. Our worker Ila Bagchi was brutally attacked by BJP goons in Thakurnagar Thakurbari. Shantanu Thakur, is this what PM @narendramodi instructed you to do?”
EXCESSIVE!
Even women are NOT SPARED when it comes to @BJP4Bengalpolitics of hate and violence.
Our worker Ila Bagchi was brutally attacked by BJP guys in Thakurnagar Thakurbari.
Shantanu Thakur, is this what PM @narendramodi did you order to do?#ShameOnBJPpic.twitter.com/wcag6ya29n
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) June 11, 2023
Minister of State for Ports and Shipping and BJP MP Shantanu Thakur, who is also a powerful leader of the Matua community, said: “Amazed to see the goons themselves condemning the attack. As the Sanghadhipati of @aimms_org, I express my disappointment about the @MamataOfficial government in #WestBengal. Religious freedom has been put on edge and the Matua community is being cowardly attacked. The Matua community and its devotees are well aware of how much respect the failed Prime Minister and the so-called young community leader Mr. @abhishekaitc The CM itself has been consistent in disrespecting the Matuas as it did before by deliberately mispronouncing the names of Shri Shri Harichand Thakur Ji & Shri Shri Guruchand Thakur Ji. “
Surprised to see the goons themselves condemning the attack…
If the Sanghadhipati of @aimms_orgI express my disappointment with the @MamataOfficial government inside #WestBengal. Freedom of religion has been put on edge and the Matua community is being cowardly attacked.
1/5— Shantanu Thakur (@Shantanu_bjp) June 11, 2023
“Today’s attack is another example of CM’s hatred for the Matua community and also reveals its real side. The deployment of about 5,000 police personnel in Thakurbari has been done only to rescue accomplices, but not to protect devotees visiting the temple The entire Matua community is demanding an unconditional apology from the CM @MamataOfficial as this incident has crossed the highest bar of humiliation The injured, mostly women, have been hospitalized while CM and her assistant are busy politicizing the case, which has become a customary act of the state government, on any issue of violence. It only symbolizes hatred, negligence and promotion of violence in this peace-loving state of #WestBengal,” added Shantanu Thakur on Twitter.
