New Delhi: The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) authorities had in its second time period referred to her “dream venture” to attach Ajmer and Pushkar by way of a rail community as “communal”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed Monday.
She had proposed the railway line within the finances she introduced for 2010-11, in her capability as railway minister within the UPA-II authorities. She additionally sanctioned a railway terminal for Ajmer. Work on the venture began in 2010-11 itself and was finally accomplished.
The Bengal CM’s remarks — which got here a day earlier than her scheduled go to to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah and Pushkar in Rajasthan Tuesday — drew sharp reactions from the Congress, which known as them “inaccurate” and a bit of “creativeness”.
Mamata reached Delhi Monday to attend an all-party assembly on G20 convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She spoke in regards to the rail venture and her plans whereas interacting with the press previous to her departure from Kolkata airport.
“It has been an extended pending want [to visit Ajmer and Pushkar]. I at all times wished to attach Pushkar and Ajmer. It was my dream venture,” she stated, including that she confronted some resistance whereas implementing it.
“The erstwhile rail ministry, my very own division, and the federal government known as this venture communal. I requested them why they had been calling it communal, was it as a result of I used to be attempting to attach two shrines of two communities — Hindus and Muslims? Each are holy locations, and plenty of Hindus go to Ajmer Sharif Dargah to supply prayers,” Mamata additional stated.
“So, I made a decision to proceed with the venture, I instructed them [the government] in the event that they see this as communal, then [so] be it. However, I’ll do the venture,” she added.
The railway ministry funded the venture totally, in accordance with the Trinamool Congress chief. “It has been my want to journey to each locations since then. Folks from Ajmer dargah got here to satisfy me lately and invited me to go to their residence. So, I’ll go tomorrow.”
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‘Mamata’s creativeness’
Senior Congress leaders in the meantime claimed that Mamata by no means felt “discomfort” so far as the secular character of UPA-II was involved, and that no such touch upon the venture calling it “communal” had been made.
Jairam Ramesh, occasion common secretary accountable for communication, stated Mamata’s assertion “stretches the creativeness and credulity vastly”. Ramesh was atmosphere minister in the course of the interval when she had proposed the venture.
Considered one of Mamata’s different former colleagues within the cupboard, senior Congress chief Salman Khurshid, stated that the remark she made appeared “incorrect”.
“The remark she made about UPA-II doesn’t appear correct. I had an opportunity to work together with her within the authorities and he or she at all times got here throughout as an lively, forthcoming and secular politician. She by no means talked about or expressed any concern or discomfort in regards to the secular nature of the federal government then,” the previous exterior affairs minister instructed ThePrint.
He added that nobody would have questioned her intention about connecting these two locations, at the very least not within the authorities.
“We don’t know what she is attempting to say right here, and data that she is likely to be personally aware of. Within the rail ministry, she was in command and who in her division would query the minister?” he requested.
The Bengal CM has been identified to chants mantras and slokas whereas attending Hindu spiritual occasions and masking her head each time she visits a mosque. Whereas campaigning for the meeting elections in Bengal final yr, she had carried out the ‘Chandi Path’ and visited 19 temples and a Muslim shrine in Nandigram in 28 hours. She had fought the elections from the Nandigram seat, however misplaced it to former aide-turned-BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari. She later gained the Bhabanipur Meeting bypoll.
By the way, Banerjee’s journey to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah Wednesday falls on the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition. The West Bengal CM, nonetheless, clarified on the airport that her go to isn’t particular to the day.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)
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