VHP slams Mamata Banerjee for protest over 'Jai Shri Ram' chant

Kolkata, Jan 24: The VHP leadership on Sunday came down heavily on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for not delivering her speech at the main 'Parakram Diwas' celebration here after 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans greeted her, saying it reflects her "anti-Hindu" mindset and efforts to appease a particular community.

A visibly agitated Banerjee, who was called to deliver her speech at the Netaji birth anniversary ceremony at Victoria Memorial on Saturday, had fumed over the "insult" and said, it was a government programme and not a political event. "What Mamata Banerjee did yesterday reflects her anti-Hindu mindset and her efforts towards appeasement politics. Lord Ram is soul of the country. Why does she get angry with 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans? We fail to understand," international joint general secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Surendra Jain told PTI.

When a section of the crowd continued with their chanting, the chief minister had said, before returning to her seat, "I thank the Prime Minister and the Union culture ministry for holding this programme in Kolkata. This is a government programme and not a political programme. There has to be dignity. It doesn't behove anybody to invite people and insult. I won't speak. Jai Bangla, Jai Hind."

BJP leader and grandnephew of Netaji, Chandra Kumar Bose, said there was nothing wrong with the slogan and Netaji's birth anniversary should not be mixed with politics. The Congress and the Left Front had backed Banerjee and slammed the BJP for the incident.