Mamata criticises Centre over Netaji

January 23, 2021 12:51

On Saturday morning, hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due in Kolkata to take part in a series of cultural events to honour Netaji's memory, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took a swipe at the Centre over its decision to call the day 'Parakram Diwas'; the Bengal government wanted the label 'DeshnayakDiwas' - a nod to the Rabindranath Tagore connection.

"I don't understand the word 'parakram'... I understand his (Netaji's) 'desh prem'. Netaji is a philosophy... an emotion... he believed in the unity of religions," Banerjee said at the start of a six-km march through the city, adding, "Why have we declared today 'Deshnayak Diwas'? Because Tagore gave him the title... because Netaji gave Tagore's song recognition as anthem."

Banerjee then went for a two-for-one jab, saying that she, unlike those who came before "just before elections", was "happy to be with the family of (Netaji Subhash Chandra) Bose".

"I am always in touch... not just before elections," she said, reiterating, "Netaji is an emotion."

Banerjee's march will also be a show of strength and an effort to showcase the Trinamool's efforts to portray itself as a home-grown party, as opposed to "outsiders" - her standard dig at the BJP, whom she accuses of flying in to ask for votes and then flying out again.

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