The Purohit Sammelan event held at Bolpur drew derision from political rivals
The BJP accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of mollifying the Hindu community after alleged minority appeasement for years after her party, the Trinamool Congress, hosted a purohit sammelan - a congregation of Hindu priests - in Birbhum district on Monday.
Anubrata Mondal, known to rule Birbhum with an iron fist, appeared in a new avatar wearing a saffron kurta and bowing and scraping before the gathered Hindu priests. "If I have said anything wrong, forgive me," he said with folded hands, adding that "we need purohits at birth, marriage and death. You are very so necessary in society. Nothing can happen without you."
BJP Attacks Mamata Banrejee Over Trinamool Congress's 'Purohit Sammelan. 'The event held at Bolpur drew derision from political rivals. Majority appeasement by Mamata Banerjee to counter the fall out of her earlier minority appeasement, they said. A fallout on full display during the BJP's sword wielding Ram Navami marches that Ms Banerjee condemned but which drew huge crowds across Bengal.
The BJP national secretary from Bengal, Mr Rahul Sinha, said, "Trinamool did so much appeasement of Muslims, a large section of people in Bengal are upset. They are now trying to please Hindus."
"A sammelan of Hindu priests being organized by Trinamool is shocking. This is competitive communalism. BJP and Trinamool are moving in the same direction," said CPM lawmaker Sujan Chakraborty, attacking both the BJP and Trinamool.
Many priests who came to the sammelan hoped the Trinamool leader would declare a stipend for them, like Mamata had for imams. But when asked, Mr Anubrata said, "That is something the government has to decide."
"We all came with the expectation of a stipend, like the one given to Muslim clerics. They didn't give it to us earlier. Now they are thinking about it. Perhaps because panchayat polls are round the corner," said Sunil Sarkar, a purohit.
Anubrata Mondal, known to rule Birbhum with an iron fist, appeared in a new avatar wearing a saffron kurta and bowing and scraping before the gathered Hindu priests. "If I have said anything wrong, forgive me," he said with folded hands, adding that "we need purohits at birth, marriage and death. You are very so necessary in society. Nothing can happen without you."
BJP Attacks Mamata Banrejee Over Trinamool Congress's 'Purohit Sammelan. 'The event held at Bolpur drew derision from political rivals. Majority appeasement by Mamata Banerjee to counter the fall out of her earlier minority appeasement, they said. A fallout on full display during the BJP's sword wielding Ram Navami marches that Ms Banerjee condemned but which drew huge crowds across Bengal.
The BJP national secretary from Bengal, Mr Rahul Sinha, said, "Trinamool did so much appeasement of Muslims, a large section of people in Bengal are upset. They are now trying to please Hindus."
"A sammelan of Hindu priests being organized by Trinamool is shocking. This is competitive communalism. BJP and Trinamool are moving in the same direction," said CPM lawmaker Sujan Chakraborty, attacking both the BJP and Trinamool.
Many priests who came to the sammelan hoped the Trinamool leader would declare a stipend for them, like Mamata had for imams. But when asked, Mr Anubrata said, "That is something the government has to decide."
"We all came with the expectation of a stipend, like the one given to Muslim clerics. They didn't give it to us earlier. Now they are thinking about it. Perhaps because panchayat polls are round the corner," said Sunil Sarkar, a purohit.
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