At Ladies’ Park, Didi meets constituents of ‘mini India’ Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed a community gathering at Ladies’ Park in Bhowanipore on Sunday evening, emphasizing the importance of unity among diverse groups. The event, attended by representatives from Christian, Muslim, ISKCON, Sindhi, Gujarati, Jain, Sikh, and Bihari communities, was marked by the presence of Trinamool Congress flags and a crowd that filled the park from around 3:30 pm. The first three rows were reserved for community leaders, including priests from churches. Banerjee arrived at 6 pm, greeted attendees with folded hands, and began her speech by apologizing for delays, citing her direct arrival from Tarakeswar. In her address, Banerjee accused the BJP of attempting to divide people along caste, creed, and community lines. She alleged that approximately 300 nuns had their names removed during the SIR (Service and Recruitment) process and that voters from Muslim, Bihari, and Gujarati communities had been arbitrarily excluded from electoral rolls. She also criticized recent police raids and naka (checkpoint) operations, claiming they subjected ordinary citizens to severe harassment. Banerjee highlighted instances of harassment, including the Russian consulate and an artist returning from work, stating, “Are they running a country? This can’t go on for long.” Addressing the Gujarati community, Banerjee questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the alleged deportation of Indian migrants from the United States in chains and handcuffs. She accused the BJP of using central forces, money, and muscle power to “capture Bengal” due to political fears.#kolkata #mamata_banerjee #trinamool_congress #ladies_park #bhowanipore
