Just three days before the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Balurghat in West Bengal on Tuesday, April 16, for a public meeting.
Addressing a rally in Bengal, he stated that this is the first Ram Navami celebration in the country after the enthronement of the Ram Lalla idol in the grand temple in Ayodhya. He assured that despite Trinamool Congress (TMC) conspiracies, processions here would proceed with full reverence and devotion.
At a public rally in Balurghat, the Prime Minister lashed out at the state government that had moved the Calcutta high court seeking its direction to prohibit the proposed Vishva Hindu Parishad’s Ram Navami rally in Howrah.
"This is the first Ram Navami when Ram Lalla has been enthroned in the grand temple in Ayodhya. I know TMC, as always, tried its best to stop the Ram Navami celebrations here, and hatched several conspiracies. But only truth wins. Therefore, permission has been granted by the court and tomorrow Ram Navami processions will be taken out with full reverence and devotion. I congratulate all my brothers and sisters of Bengal on this occasion," PM Modi said during the rally in Balurghat.
Attacking the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, PM Modi mentioned that the TMC always tries its best to halt the Ram Navami celebrations and has hatched several conspiracies. He also highlighted that the gathering of people indicates the BJP's potential victory with 400 seats on June 4, and chanted the famous 'fir ek baar Modi sarkar' slogan with the crowd.
"Today this gathering of people in Balurghat, shows that this time victory will be of development. Today the whole state is saying 4 June '400 paar', 'fir ek baar Modi sarkar'," he said.
PM Modi further attacked opposition in the state, saying, "TMC feels that Dalits, tribals and poor are not free to move as per their wish. But this election will tell them that in the democracy of Babasaheb Ambedkar, Dalits, deprived people and tribals are not slaves of TMC. TMC, which has brought tribal women to their knees, will soon come to their knees."
In Calcutta High Court, the state counsel had submitted that the police granted permission to 17 such processions only in Howrah and that the state didn't have the wherewithal to manage the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) rally.
The VHP counsel submitted to the court that an organization — Anjani Putra Sena — had participated in the Ram Navami procession at Howrah last year. "They are not participating in the rally this time. Instead, they propose to take out a separate rally on Sunday," the VHP counsel said.