Mamata Banerjee declares her January 22 plans: Visit to Kali Temple, all-faith rally

Breaking her silence over invitation for the Ayodhya consecration ceremony, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday that she will be in Kolkata on January 22, where she will visit a Kali temple to offer prayers and then lead a mega all-religion rally.

“Pran Prathistha of Lord Ram is not our job. It is the job of seers and sadhus,” the West Bengal Chief Minister added. “What will we do going to Ayodhya? As politicians, our job is to make infrastructure, I will do that.”

The ‘Sarba Dharma’ rally held by the TMC on January 22 will have people from all walks of life plus religious leaders from all faiths, and cover different shrines, before culminating in Park Circus Maidan, a minority-dominated area.

“Many of you have been asking me about temples. I have nothing to say. I have already said, Dharma jar jar, Utsav sobar (religion is for oneself, festivals for everyone)… Today I want to tell you that, on that day, I will first visit the Kali Mandir, on my own. Then I will do an interfaith rally from Hazra to Park Circus Maidan, and hold a meeting there. We will cover mosques, temples, churches and gurdwaras along the way. Everybody is welcome to join. People of all faiths will be there at the rally,” Mamata said, adding that similar rallies will be held by TMC leaders in every district.

The BJP accused the TMC of “brazen disregard of Hindu sentiments”, with IT cell chief Amit Malviya asking she was holding “a political programme in Kolkata and at blocks across Bengal”. “This is nothing but preparing ground for communal confrontation(s) on a day when Hindus will be fasting, observing rituals and visiting temples… she alone will be responsible for any untoward incident(s) that day,” Malviya posted, going on to talk