Mamata Banerjee sounds pluralism bugle in Goa: Trinamul Congress stands for temple, mosque and church, says the party chief

Trinamul Congress stands for temple, mosque and church, says the party chief

Mamata Banerjee takes a tea break in Goa on Friday.: Telegraph picture

Meghdeep Bhattacharyya   |   TT  |  Calcutta   |   30.10.21: Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday formally launched her party’s bid for power on Goan soil, with less than four months remaining for the tiny coastal state’s Assembly election, asserting her party’s initials “TMC” stand for “temple, mosque and church”.

The Bengal chief minister repeatedly underscored her party’s uncompromising stand on protecting the pluralistic, inclusive ethos of India.

“The BJP calls me anti-Hindu. But they are nobody to issue character certificates to me. They should first figure out their own character,” said Mamata. “We unite people, we don’t divide…. Our initials stand for temple, mosque and church,” she added.

Through a busy day of numerous political and PR exercises on her maiden political tour of the cosmopolitan western state, a Portuguese colony for over four centuries, till 1961, she also stressed she was not attempting to invade Goa as an “outsider” (which the BJP has started calling her) but was only trying to partner as a “sister” to help the state move forward and ensure that it wasn’t run from Delhi.

Listing welfare schemes implemented by her government in Bengal, Mamata said her party could do those with ease in Goa, whose population  is 1.5 per cent of that of Bengal.

“I am not here to be the chief minister of Goa… but I will happily ensure there is a policy, a mechanism in the government free of corruption,” she said, stressing hers was a national party and could go anywhere in the nation.

Mamata Banerjee takes keen interest in fish at a local market in Betim, Goa, on Friday.: Telegraph picture

She said Bengal and Goa have in common their love for three Fs, fish, football and folk culture.

“We will work for Goa resolutely. It is not that we are here to divide votes,” she added, referring to the Congress’s allegation. “You (the Goa electorate) have given an opportunity to all (other) parties… now give one opportunity to Trinamul.”

The Congress has been critical of Mamata’s Goa venture, as it is the principal Opposition in the state and had emerged as the single largest party in the 40-seat Goa Assembly in 2017. The AAP too has been trying to make inroads in Goa for some time.

The Congress’s fear is that in the February 2022 election Trinamul and AAP would eat into the chunk of around 34 per cent Christian votes.

“Let the Congress also contest. They have been contesting for 70 years. The last time, Congress MLAs went to the BJP to help them form the government here. You (the Congress) cannot control your own MLAs,” said Mamata, referring to the controversial power-grab of 2017 in Goa, when the BJP  formed the government despite securing 13 seats compared to the Congress’s 17, when the majority mark was 21.

Asked if she was positioning herself as Prime Minister in 2024, Mamata said: “If I tell you everything right away, what will I say later… we are transparent.”

BJP Bengal unit chief Sukanta Majumdar responded to Mamata’s day in Goa with derision, dismissing her party’s chances there. Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged she had gone to Goa to divide votes and in order to help the BJP.

Mamata began her day with a meeting of her party’s Goa unit at 10am in Dona Paula, with inductions on either side of the likes of Indian tennis icon Leander Paes and swimmer-model-actor-politician-activist Nafisa Ali.

At midday, she interacted with fishermen at Betim. At 1pm, she held a news conference in Dona Paula. At 3.30pm, she paid a visit to the Mangueshi temple in Priol, followed by the Shri Mahalsa Narayani temple in Mardol, followed by the Tapobhoomi temple at Kundaim.

In the evening, she participated in an interaction with civil society members of Goa in Dona Paula.

On Saturday, Mamata would have breakfast with journalists at 10.30pm in Dona Paula, followed by a visit at 11.30am to the Basilica of Bom Jesus on Old Goa Road. At midday, she would conduct a community interaction at Mapusa.

“She is leaving no stone unturned to make a significant impact this time, by making public memories that would last for some time. She is on a mission,” said a senior Trinamul Rajya Sabha member.