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Journalism of Courage
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister engaged in a verbal war over chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’, BJP president Amit Shah asked the TMC chief “if Shri Ram’s name is not taken in India, will it be chanted in Pakistan?”
Addressing a poll rally in Bengal’s Ghatal, Shah said that Mamata is not allowing people to chant the slogan in Bengal. “Lord Ram is a part of the culture of India… Can anybody stop people from taking his name? I want to ask Mamata didi if Shri Ram’s name is not taken in India, will it be chanted in Pakistan?” Shah said.
The tussle between PM and the West Bengal CM came to the fore after a video, that went viral on social media, showed Mamata stopping her car at a place in West Midnapore district and chasing some persons who chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ as her carcade was passing through. Targetting her over the incident, PM Modi said that in Bengal people are not allowed to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and that saying it in public places is considered as a crime.
Responding to the charges, Mamata said that it was the slogan of the BJP and the party was trying to force everybody to chant it. “Does Ramchandra become BJP’s election agent when the election comes?” Mamata asked.
The TMC had attacked the BJP for making it a poll plank and said that the incident showed the desperation of the saffron party to win in West Bengal. “Desperate BJP in Bengal doing what they do best. Shame on their desperation to put a spin on a video and create falsehood. Bengal has rejected them and they know that. They’ll have no place to hide on May 23,” tweeted TMC.
The BJP has mounted an intensive campaign in the state with top leaders including PM Modi addressing several rounds of elections rallies.
