West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited a tribal village in Bankura district today and declared a state holiday on November 15 as a mark of respect to tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda, who was hanged by the British when he was just 25.
While the adivasi (tribal) community is sure to welcome the decision, the real target of her announcement was Home Minister Amit Shah who, on a visit to the same district on November 5, had paid floral tributes to a statue that the BJP initially identified as that of Birsa Munda when it was not. Mr Shah went to the home of a Dalit family for lunch, something Ms Banerjee called a mere photo op.
"I went to a Scheduled Castes village today. I sat with them. On their khatia, not like central ministers who get basmati rice cooked from a five-star hotel outside... and then eat in their house, all painted and sanitised. We can see the women cutting up coriander but he is seen having a posto bora. No one is fooled by these things anymore," said Ms Banerjee.
The floral tribute to a tribal statue also drew criticism. "The statue was not of Birsa Munda but that of a hunter. I respect the hunter. Even he is my tribal brother, but he isn't Birsa Munda. Why are you lying? You can't break the statue of Vidyasagar, you can't garland another statue claiming it was Rabindranath Tagore. People here won't forget the insult," Ms Banerjee said.
Not only did she announce a state holiday from next year on Birsa Munda's birthday, she also announced that the state would set up a statue of the freedom fighter soon.
The BJP hit back. "Why are you talking of building a Birsa Munda statue now, why not in all these years?" said state BJP leader Sayantan Bose.
State BJP vice president Jay Prakash Majumdar said, "The entire media was there when Amit Shah had lunch at Bankura village. Everyone could see what Mr Shah was eating. Perhaps the chief minister missed the videos. Someone should show them to her."
Ms Banerjee's attack on Mr Shah came during a visit to Bankura's Khatra subdivision today. She was speaking at an administrative meeting when she launched the attack on the Home Minister.
The Chief Minister is on a three-day visit to Bankura since Sunday. While most of her time is scheduled for administrative matters, including a video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the coronavirus vaccine, she will address a political rally in the district on Wednesday.
It will be the first of her pre-poll rallies. While an exact count is not known, the Chief Minister is apparently going to address some 600 public rallies between now and election day next year.
