Kolkata, Jan 26 On the occasion of the 77th Republic Day celebration in the country, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has stressed the need for a collective internal vigilance to protect liberty, while the Leader of opposition (LoP) in the Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has given a call for renewed commitment to achieve the ultimate goal for a self-reliant, stronger and united India.
“On this Republic Day, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all. Let us reaffirm our commitment to the core values of our Constitution -- justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity. Let us strive towards plurality, diversity, inclusiveness, and social harmony. I am reminded today of the old saying: eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. I urge everyone today to exercise this vigil. Our republic and our Constitution today demand our collective vigilance," the Chief Minister said in a social media post on Monday morning.
On the other hand, in his social media post, the LoP said that on the occasion of the 77th Republic Day, what is required is a renewed commitment to a stronger, united and self-reliant India.
"We the People of India celebrate and honour our Constitution and Sovereignty on the auspicious occasion of the 77th Republic Day. Let us renew our commitment to build a Stronger, United and Atmanirbhar Bharat. Jai Hind. Vande Mataram," he said on X.
While Adhikari’s statement conveys a usual message for the occasion, political observers feel that the Chief Minister’s call for “internal vigilance to protect liberty” is extremely loaded and politically significant amid her current and continuing right with the union government, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and most importantly the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state.
Since the beginning of the revision process, the Chief Minister and the leadership of her party, Trinamool Congress, have been describing this process as not only an attempt to deprive the genuine voters of the basic liberty to vote but also an indirect ploy to slap the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state.
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