WB: Congress, TMC, CPI(M) slam PM for making political speech at Belur Math

Kolkata, Jan 12: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech at Belur Math on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the great Hindu monk Swami Vivekanand on Sunday, the opposition parties of the state snubbed PM Modi for making a "political speech" in the spiritual place.

The leaders of the opposition party have criticised PM Modi saying that he has forgotten to differentiate between a spiritual place and a rally.

The biggest critics of BJP, the TMC, Congress and CPI (M) claimed that the nationwide protests against the CAA though have cornered the Centre the PM should have spared the holy place of Belur Math from his divisive politics, they said.

Congress Lok Sabha MP, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury condemning PM's speech in Belur Math said that it is the headquarters of Ramkrishna Mission that is known across the world as a holy land. The PM should have refrained from making a political speech there.

Earlier, in the day today, the Ramakrishna Math and Mission distanced itself from PM Modi's remarks on the contentious CAA contending that it was a strictly apolitical body which did not respond to "ephemeral" calls.

On Sunday, PM Modi, during his address from headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission - Belur Math had said that the new citizenship law would not take away anybody's citizenship.

He, however, denounced that a section of the youth is being "misguided" over the CAA, which is aimed at giving and not taking away anybody's citizenship rights.

Condemning the PM 's speech the TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said that this proved the desperation of the Centre and that it is on the backfoot after countrywide anti- CAA protests.

CPI(M) politburo member Mohammed Salim also responded to his speech.

BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha reacting to the allegations made by the opposition parties said that the CPI(M) and Congress should stop "lecturing on right and wrong". He asserted that the CPI(M), as everyone knows is a party of atheists.

Swami Suvirananda, the Ramakrishna Math and Mission general secretary, while addressing to media on Sunday had said, "The organisation will not comment on the prime minister's speech on CAA. We are a strictly apolitical body. We have come here after leaving our homes to answer eternal calls. We do not respond to ephemeral calls."