Mamata Banerjee at Bengal Poll Rally

Claiming that the BJP will not allow people to chant “Jai Siya Ram” (Glory to Sita and Ram), Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday that Lord Ram worshipped Goddess Durga as she is much superior to him. Addressing the people of Jhargram and Binpur constituencies at a poll rally here in Jhargram district which has a sizeable Adivasi population, she claimed that the BJP will not allow them to take the name of ‘Marang Buru’, whom the Santhals consider as the supreme source of power, but they will have to chant “Jai Shri Ram” (Glory to Lord Ram).

“They (BJP) are saying that you will not be able to practise your religion, you will have to chant Jai Shri Ram.But you will not be able to say Jai Siya Ram,” Banerjee said.

“Ram performed the puja of Devi Durga (in the Ramayana). Maa Durga is much superior to Ram, that is why he worshipped Maa Durga,” the West Bengal chief minister told the meeting. BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath told an election rally on Tuesday that Banerjee gets livid at the chant of Jai Shri Ram and now she has started visiting temples and is reciting ‘Chandi path’, an ode to Goddes Durga.

On the BJP’s accusation that her government created hurdles in the immersion of the idol of goddess Durga, Banerjee said that the Trinamool Congress dispensation gave Rs 50,000 to each club for performing the Durga puja, the biggest festival of the state. Alleging atrocities on women in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, she claimed that it is a party of Duryodhana and Dushasana, villainous characters in the Mahabharata.

Apparently referring to the saffron partys allegation that the TMC is pursuing the politics of appeasement of minorities, Banerjee said her government works with the people of all religions and castes for the development of the state. The TMC boss alleged that the BJP creates rift between people on religious lines.