Kolkata, Jan 12 A controversy arose regarding a poster that displayed Trinamool Congress' All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee in front of Swami Vivekananda's ancestral residence located on Simla Street in North Kolkata on Monday.
The BJP strongly criticised the poster, claiming that it featured only Abhishek Banerjee's image and omitted any representation of Swami Vivekananda, despite the message 'Welcome, Crown Prince' written on it.
The BJP said that by placing such a poster in front of Swami Vivekananda's house, especially on his birth anniversary, the Trinamool Congress has insulted Vivekananda himself.
However, the Trinamool Congress has denied these allegations and questioned the BJP's placards and hoardings.
Monday marked the 163rd birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar arrived at Simla Street early in the morning to commemorate the occasion.
Abhishek Banerjee is also scheduled to visit later in the afternoon to pay his respects to Vivekananda. The poster welcoming him was put up by Jorasanko MLA Vivek Gupta in front of Swami Vivekananda's house.
Criticising the poster, Suvendu Adhikari said, "Swami Vivekananda is the real crown prince. No one else is the crown prince. I have been coming here for the last 33 years. Every year on Swamiji's birthday, I put up hoardings and banners. I don't even let my name be written on them. And see their arrogance that the Chief Minister's nephew is being called 'Yuvraj' I heard that the Pradhan Maharaj here had forbidden the councillors to put up anyone else's photograph. Even after that, they didn't listen."
Echoing the LoP, Sukanta Majumdar said, "Swamiji used to roam here once. Now, coal thieves and cow thieves roam around. The people of Bengal should uproot them. Otherwise, a genius like Vivekananda will never be seen on this land again."
The BJP also organised a 'Vivek Yatra' from Hedua to Shimla Street to pay tributes to Swamiji. State BJP President Samik Bhattacharya, state Yuva Morcha president Indranil Khan, and the party's North Kolkata district BJP president Tamoghna Ghosh were present with Suvendu Adhikari and Sukanta Majumdar.
However, the Trinamool Congress leaders said that the party supporters see Abhishek as a 'crown prince'. That is why such a hoarding was made and was not meant to insult Swamiji.
Party spokesperson Arup Chakraborty said, "Central Minister Sukanta Majumdar, former BJP state president, called Vivekananda a 'confused Leftist'. I will not listen to the BJP's lecture on Vivekananda. In fact, Vivekananda is Narendranath Datta at the end of the day. He is a symbol of Bengalis' emotions and self-respect."
State Minister Shashi Panja raised a counter-question about the BJP's posters. She claimed that the posters in the hands of BJP leaders had Swamiji's message written on them, 'Proudly say that I am a Hindu'.
Shashi Panja criticised the BJP and said, "Instead of such a message, they could have used another message, such as proudly saying that I am a human being."
Regarding Abhishek Banerjee's photograph, the state minister said, "I don't know why this is being questioned. Popular leaders are viewed and admired differently by their followers. Abhishek is viewed as a prince by his followers. There is no point in insulting anyone else. This is the love of the people for their beloved leader."
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