Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday attacked BJP for indulging the Visva-Bharati University in “dirty politics”. Addressing a huge gathering during her mega rally in West Bengal’s Bolpur, Banerjee accused BJP of insulting Rabindranath Tagore.
The central university has been a common topic of news in recent times. From the university officials’ decision to guard the institution’s perimeter with a wall to “not inviting” the West Bengal Chief Minister for the centenary celebrations, VBU has been at the middle of some heated debates.
“Today when I see walls are being built at Visva-Bharati and people’s hearts are being turned into prisons, I don’t feel well. I say break all the barriers. I don’t like it when I see the disgusting communal politics that is being played out at Visva-Bharati,” Banerjee after her roadshow from Tourist Lodge to Jambuni Mor in Bolpur.
“They have started a dirty politics in West Bengal. It’s narrow minded. They are trying to make people forget their religion.
“Garlanding Swami Vivekananda’s statue is not the only thing that is required to know Hinduism. You’ll have to understand Vivekananda with your heart. You’ll have to know Ramkrishna, Sarada Ma, Kankalitala, Nalhateshwar, Bakreshwar, Kalighat. It is not that easy,” she added.
As expected, Banerjee also mentioned Tagore to extend TMC’s plan to build narrative about BJP being an outsider party, seen as a tactic to employ the Bengali pride BJP’s hyper-nationalism.
The West Bengal’s governning party in recent times has started to highlight the saffron brigade’s “unawareness about Bengal’s tradition and culture” and has called out its leaders everytime they committed an error while speaking about the state.
“Those who insulted Rabindranath Tagore are their leaders. They have selected a VC who has a stamp of BJP. Everyday the BJP leaders visit the VC’s office,” the TMC supremo said.