West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday slammed the Centre over installing Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's statue in Delhi and said that she is not a "bonded servant" to attend the unveiling programme.
The BJP, however, hit back with party leader Amit Malviya claiming that Banerjee was making attempts to "sully" the occasion.
Addressing a party meeting held at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, Banerjee said that she would not be attending the inauguration of the statue at the revamped Central Vista Avenue in New Delhi.
"I received a letter from an undersecretary stating PM will inaugurate the statue at 7 pm you be there by 6 pm, am I their bonded servant?"
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil a grand statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose near India Gate in the national capital on Thursday. The jet black granite statue, with a height of 28 feet will be placed under the canopy near India Gate.
Hitting back at Mamata over her statement about the unveiling of Netaji's statue, in-charge of BJP National Information and Technology Department Amit Malaviya said that Mamata is making puerile attempts to sully the solemn occasion.
He took to Twitter on Thursday and said, "Mamata Banerjee is feeling bad that Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's statue is being installed in the heart of Delhi. She did nothing to honour his legacy and now that Prime Minister Modi has taken the historic decision, she is making puerile attempts to sully the solemn occasion."
The statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will be installed in the same place where a hologram statue of Netaji was unveiled earlier this year on Parakram Diwas (January 23) by him to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji.
The Prime Minister's arrival at the canopy for the unveiling of the statue of Netaji will be heralded with traditional Manipuri Shankh Vadayam and Kerala's traditional Panch Vadayam and Chanda. The unveiling of the statue of Netaji would be accompanied by the tune of Kadam Kadam Badhaye Jaa, the traditional INA song, informed the statement.
A special 10-minute drone show on Netaji's life would be projected at India Gate at 8 pm on September 9, 10, and 11. Both the cultural festival and the drone show would be open to the public with free entry.
Meanwhile, Mamata also slammed the Centre claiming that Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina during her visit to India wanted to meet her but wasn't allowed.
"This is the first time I saw that the PM of Bangladesh came and wanted to meet me but was not allowed. I don't know why they are so angry, they didn't let me go to Chicago," CM added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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