SunsatrTV Bureau: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has rejected to speak at the ‘Parakram Divas’ celebrations at Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, on Saturday.
As she felt insulted when the crowd chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Modi’, where she said, “This is not a party programme. This is an event of the government. All political parties and people are part of this event. Government should have some dignity. Don’t insult me after calling. On protest, I refuse to speak at this event. Jai Hind, Jai Bangla.”
However, she thanked PM Modi and the culture ministry for holding the event in Kolkata.
PM Modi took the stage shortly after and didn’t mention anything on Banerjee’s sudden exit from the stage.
The celebration of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s 125th birth anniversary has been a flaring point between the Trinamool and the BJP as the Centre on January 19 announced that from this year January 23 will be celebrated as ‘Parakram Divas’.
Early in the day, Mamata Banerjee led a march in Kolkata, from Shyambazar yo Red Road and attacked the Centre for noticing Netaji’s birth anniversary only in the year when the state is scheduled to go to the assembly polls. Banerjee also questioned why Centre called it ‘Parakram Divas’, why January 23 is not a national holiday, why there is no memorial for Netaji.
