State BJP on Friday accused the Trinamul Congress of trying to exploit Hindu sentiments by organising Ram Navami programme while it had never helped such programme before.

The main objective is to take the wind from the BJP’s sail and project itself as a champion of Hindus so it can get vote in panchayat election, said BJP state president Dilip Ghosh.

“Now TMC understands the danger of appeasement of the minority community people as it could shrink its Hindu vote bank. Previously TMC used to celebrate Eid and Muharram in a bid to play minority politics. TMC apprehends that BJP will get all the votes of the Hindus so this party now became desperate to survive this time,” he said.

He said people will easily identify TMC as the opportunist party and permanently discard them. “People generally dislike this kind of party, which change their mind easily and could throw anybody for their short-term benefit,” he said.

Trinamul Congress this year will celebrate Ram Navami. It has been learnt that senior Trinamul leaders will lead the processions in several places.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, however, said that only heritage committees, who are observing Ram Navami since a long time could take out procession by carrying traditional arms after taking the permission from police. Miss Banerjee announced this on Wednesday during a public meeting at Bolpur.

She also said that all processions must follow the routes, which were fixed by police and take out peaceful procession.

She also said that no new procession will be allowed to carry arms only traditional and heritage procession will be allowed to carry arms.

The BJP state president, however, said that saffron brigade will defy this ban as all akhara (religious monastery for religious renunciates in Guru-shishya tradition) could carry arms during Ram Navami celebration.

Mr Ghosh himself will carry gada (mess) and lead a procession in West Midnapore. Several other BJP leaders including Rahul Sinha, Locket Chatterjee and others will participate in Ram Navami celebration.

On Thursday, CPI-M state secretary Surjya Kanta Misra ridiculed Dilip Ghosh for his decision to carry gada. “Earlier he (Mr Ghosh) used to act as hanuman and now he became Ram. Actually, a competition has started between the two parties (BJP, TMC) as to who will become the number one communal political party in the state,” he said.

Meanwhile, the BJP’s state president also criticised the state government for alleged Rohingya infiltration into the state.

Mr Ghosh alleged that chief minister Mamata Banerjee is pampering the illegal infiltration which is causing a threat to the internal security of the country.

“Miss Banerjee always considers strengthening her vote bank instead of the country’s internal security,” he said.

BJP party workers also acted a drama on Rohingya infiltration issue. Senior BJP leaders, including Locket Chatterjee, Jay Banerjee, Debashree Chowdhury, attended the agitation on Rohingya issue near Esplanade on Friday.