On Eid ul-Fitr day, addressing a congregation of devout Muslims who had performed namaaz on Red Road in Kolkata, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee made a high-decibel political speech. In a thinly veiled warning for BJP, Mamata Banerjee said, "Jo humse takrayega, choor choor ho jayega".
The Trinamool Congress chief told Muslims to stay united "so that we can fight for you". She told West Bengal Muslims: "There is nothing to be scared of. ...Don't be scared, the faster they captured EVMs, the sooner they will go away".
In her typical style, Banerjee said: "Tyaag ka naam hai Hindu, Imaan ka naam hai Musalman, Pyar ka naam hai Isai, Sikh ka naam hai balidaan. Ye hai hamara pyaara Hindustan. Jo humse takrayega choor choor ho jayega. Ye hamara slogan hai."
I am surprised over Mamata Banerjee's reactions since the time Lok Sabha election results have come. She seems to be unable to digest BJP hiking up its tally from two to 18 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in her state.
Mamata Banerjee is an experienced politician and she knows West Bengal politics like the back of her hand. She correctly understands the pulse of the Bengali bhadralok. Yet, at a religious festival like Eid, she pours out her hate for her political rivals. She tries to strike fear in the mind of Bengali Muslims in the name of BJP, and openly speaks out about fighting for Muslims.
This is symptomatic of the depression that Mamata might have been facing since the LS results came out. She is running the government in West Bengal and has concentrated all the power in her hands. How can it be that others can come and threaten Muslims in Bengal?
I agree with Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, when he said that "Mamata is neither worried about Muslims, nor Hindus, the only thing she worries about is her chair." This, in a sentence, sums up the situation in which Mamata Banerjee finds herself at this moment.
