Are they bigger than Lord Jagannath?: Mamata Banerjee mocks BJP’s ‘Parivartan Rathyatra’

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday mocked BJP leaders for behaving like “as if they are god’s” due to the ‘rathyatra’ that the party is undertaking across the state.

At a rally in Uttar Dinajpur’s Raiganj, Banerjee alleged that the political agenda behind BJP’s ‘Parivartan Rathyatra’ was to create division in society on the basis of religion. She also accused the saffron party of resorting to lies about Hinduism.

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“Rath Yatra is a religious festival. All of us have participated in this festival. We know Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Goddess Subhadra travel in those chariots.

“But, the BJP leaders are using this Rath Yatra for their own political purposes to divide the society and pit one against the other. BJP leaders are travelling on raths as if they are gods,” she said.

The former railway minister further attacked BJP by saying that the party was insulting Lord Jagannath and Lord Krishna. She said, “That is not a rath. It’s a five-star hotel. Lord Jagannath travels in a rath. Are the BJP leaders bigger than him?”

“Do we need to worship BJP leaders now? We have seen how raths are used in Mahabharata. Lord Krishna travelled in a rath with Arjun. Are the BJP leaders Krishna?”

Extending the insider-outaider debate, Banerjee maintained her stance that BJP was bringing outsiders to the state for the upcoming assembly elections due in April-May. The TMC chief also claimed that all they do is eat at houses of locals for a photo opportunity.

“Some outsiders are coming in luxury cars and indulging in photo sessions to show they are having food at houses of villagers,” she said, alleging that the the food is brought from five-star hotels.

“Bengal will be ruled by those from the state and not by people coming from Gujarat,” Banerjee asserted.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday refused to give a stay order to BJP’s ‘Parivartan Rathyatra’, sending a sense of relief to the saffron party camp.

A division bench of Justices Rajesh Bindal and Aniruddha Ray did not accept lawyer Ramprasad Sarkar’s plea to stay the ‘Rathyatra’.

Sarkar had cited the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic situation and said that huge gatherings could have detrimental effect.

Representing BJP, Mahesh Jethmalani argued that the ‘Rathyatra’ had already begun from February 6 and that it was a conspiracy from the TMC-led state government to restrict it.

The court would announce its final decision after another round of hearing on Thursday. Jethmalani had requested a stay order of the hearing by two days, which was denied by Justice Bindal and Justice Ray.

In an attempt to reach people at their doorsteps ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly Election, BJP president JP Nadda flagged off the party’s ‘Parivartan Rathyatra’ from Nabadwip in Nadia district, the birthplace of 15th century saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also likely to inaugurate two of the five proposed yatras later this month, the first of which will happen on Thursday. Several other top BJP leaders, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, are also likely to take part.