On Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticized the Union government for removing Christmas from the list of national holidays. She emphasized the significance of the festival and its celebration in the state.
Addressing the ‘Kolkata Christmas Inauguration’ event at Allen Park, Banerjee stated, “Previously the occasion of Christmas was considered as a national holiday. But the current Union government had cancelled that. Here in West Bengal, we have not cancelled a single holiday. Rather we have increased the number of scheduled holidays. Everyone wants to celebrate the day with their family members. We have regards for all religious festivals.”
Banerjee also condemned recent remarks made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding BR Ambedkar, calling them shocking and offensive.
“Really shocked by the comments made about Ambedkar,” she asserted.
Addressing a Christmas gathering at St Xavier’s College later in the evening, the Chief Minister renewed her criticism of the BJP, targeting both the remarks about Ambedkar and the removal of Christmas from the list of national holidays.
“I strongly believe while religion is personal to each, festivals are universal. That is why I have declared holidays on religious occasions. In a country like India, we cannot enforce one particular path or way of life. Unity in diversity is the root of Indian philosophy,” Banerjee said.
The Chief Minister also referred to comments made during Parliament’s commemoration of the Constitution’s 75th anniversary, accusing the Union government of disrespecting Ambedkar’s legacy.
“This is a display of BJP’s CASTEIST and ANTI-DALIT mindset. If this is how they behave after being reduced to 240 seats, imagine the damage they would’ve inflicted if their dream of 400 seats had been realized. They’d have rewritten history to entirely erase Ambedkar’s contributions,” she added.
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