The TMC has long been accused of harbouring a deep aversion to Hindus and Hinduism. Whether it’s Mamata Banerjee’s objections to Jai Shri Rama slogans or the state government’s bans on Hindu festivals, the TMC has repeatedly shown their disrespect for Hindus in the state. This disrespect for Hindus, Lord Rama, and Hinduism was on show recently when TMC MP Mahua Moitra tried to slam UP Yogi Adityanath after he addressed a rally in Bengal’s Purulia.
Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, was in the state as a star campaigner for the BJP ahead of the upcoming elections in West Bengal. Yogi, in typical Yogi fashion, vowed to create UP-like culture in West Bengal if the BJP is elected in the state. He went on to say that the TMC’s endemic culture of abuse would be ended, and that the party’s goons would be disciplined.
Yogi’s assumptions clearly irritated the TMC MP, and she was swift to react. Yogi’s views on the culture of violence fostered in West Bengal under the TMC regime may have annoyed Moitra. Moitra, in his effort to put Yogi down, ended up offending Hindus and their culture.
Moitra said in a tweet shortly after Yogi’s rally that his “thok do culture” from his “vanar sena commune” will not fit in West Bengal. “So Yogi CM comes to WB today, says he will destroy ‘TMC goondas’ one by one, Gudduji – listen up – your thok do culture may have worked in the vanar sena commune you ruled, but it doesn’t work here,” Moitra tweeted.
Moitra mocked the vanar sena, or army of monkeys, who followed Lord Rama and his brother Lakshman on their journey to Lanka and also played a critical role in overcoming Ravan’s massive army. Moitra not only insulted the vanar sena, but also Hindus who revere the army of monkeys for assisting Lord Rama in his quest for his kidnapped bride. Hindus revere the army of monkeys, especially their leader Lord Hanuman, who is worshipped as Lord Rama’s supreme devotee and often worshiped as a deity.
Although holy Hindus in Uttar Pradesh and Yogi Adityanath will not be troubled by Moitra’s reference to the state as a vanar sena commune, given that the army of monkeys was extraordinarily disciplined, demonstrably brave, and fought on the side of dharma. The Hindus, on the other hand, are well aware that Moitra’s remark was intended to be derogatory. It took to the forefront the TMC’s disrespect for Hindus and their deeply held convictions once more.
It’s also worth mentioning that this isn’t a one-time occurrence in which Hindus and their gods have been mocked. Mamata Banerjee, the head of the TMC, recently took offence.
Mamata Banerjee lashed out after hearing ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans and stormed off the platform, saying, “Inviting people and then disrespecting them does not behove the government.” This is a coalition initiative, not a political party initiative.”
Hindus are relegated to second-class people in TMC-ruled West Bengal, depending on the mercy of the state government to celebrate their festivals. If two religions’ festivals coincide on the same day, it is invariably the Hindus who are ordered to halt their festivities, while people of other faiths are free to do whatever they want on their festivals. In order to make way for Muharram, the Mamata Banerjee-led government barred Durga idol immersion on October 1, 2017. Since it coincided with the Islamic festival of Muharram, Hindus were ordered to hold their festival on another day.
