Taking a swipe at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee’s announcement to construct a Mahakal Temple in Siliguri, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Tuesday that such people remember religion only when elections approach.
Speaking to mediapersons at his residence in Bhopal, Chouhan noted that for him, religion is a matter of personal faith.
“However, other politicians and parties try to use these only for electoral gains”, the former MP CM stated.
“When elections come, temples are remembered. When these religious institutions are attacked, such people remain silent. But as elections approach, many start wearing ‘tripund’ ( sacred mark of three horizontal lines worn on the forehead by Lord Shiva followers), begin reciting the Hanuman Chalisa and remember the Durga Saptashati. I think the public knows this truth,” he added.
Chouhan maintained that faith should be respected and not used as a political “tool”.
TMC chief Mamta Banerjee had said at a programme in Kolkata earlier in the day that the foundation stone of a Mahakal temple would be laid in Siliguri in north Bengal in the second week of January, adding that land has been identified and funds arranged for the project.
She also said allegations of appeasement are levelled against her, but she does not practise such politics as she is secular.
Assembly elections in West Bengal are scheduled for March-April 2026. The Trinamool Congress is currently in power in the state, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the main opposition.
After a strong victory in the Bihar assembly elections, the BJP has turned its full attention to West Bengal, which has 294 assembly seats.