On the day of the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee led an all-faith “Sanhati (harmony) rally” in Kolkata, from where she not only launched an attack on the BJP but also went after her INDIA alliance partners.

Mamata slammed the BJP for its bid to “politicise” religion ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

At the same time, she also said she felt sad to see the CPI(M) “controlling” the INDIA bloc’s meetings and that some people would not listen to her over seat-sharing for the upcoming polls.

In the context of Bengal, apart from the TMC, the Congress and the CPI(M) are the other major constituents of the Opposition INDIA grouping formed to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections.

The INDIA allies have run into a seat-sharing hurdle in Bengal, with the TMC having declined to engage in talks with the Congress’s national alliance committee over the issue while offering the party just two of its sitting seats – Berhampore and Malda Dakshin.

State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who is also the party MP from Berhampore, has rejected the TMC’s offer, saying the grand old party had won those seats on its own in 2019 fighting against the TMC and the BJP, and that the Congress does not need any “grace or generosity” from Mamata to win them again.

In the 2019 polls, the TMC bagged 22 seats out of the state’s total 42 as against the BJP’s 18, with the CPI(M)-led Left Front drawing a blank.

On her part, Mamata, while addressing a public rally in Park Circus Maidan where the Sanhati rally ended, rued that none of the Opposition leaders hit the streets in protest to counter the BJP head-on, like she did on the day of the Ayodhya event.

“I suggested the name INDIA. But I am sad to say that when I attend the INDIA meetings I see CPI(M) controlling it. I cannot agree with those with whom I fought for 34 years,” the CM said.

“I have been told what they think they will do. I tell them not to help the BJP. If you do so, the people of India will not pardon you. If I can have the guts to take on BJP why can’t you? I have shown courage. So many political parties, but did they show this courage?” Mamata asked.

She went on: “I have the power to fight with BJP and I do so. I have repeatedly said that whoever is in power in whichever state (regional parties) should decide. I had said you (Congress) fight in 300 seats, we will help you. But some people do not want to listen to us on seat-sharing. I am ready to give blood, but I will not let BJP have one seat.”

The TMC chief also asked: “How many politicians today took on the BJP frontally? How many politicians hit the streets? Somebody went to a temple and thinks that is sufficient. It is not so. I am the only one who took out a rally and visited a temple, a gurdwara, a church and a mosque.”

Referring to riots that had also erupted in Kolkata in the wake of the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992, Mamata said she had reached out to the then CM and CPI(M) stalwart Jyoti Basu to ensure restoration of communal harmony and peace.

On Monday morning, Mamata offered puja and performed “arti” at the Kalighat temple and took out the Sanhati rally of thousands of TMC workers from Hazra in South Kolkata. She walked with people belonging to different religions. She was accompanied by her nephew and TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, ministers and other party leaders.

The CM also visited a gurdwara at Garcha and a church and a mosque in the Park Circus area.