The protest over the Waqf Amendment Act has escalated from the streets to the Supreme Court, with the fiercest resistance emerging from West Bengal -- the stronghold of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Taking a firm stand against the law, she hit out at the central government and expressed strong concerns over the portrayal of Bengal amid the ongoing protests. Speaking during a meeting with Muslim religious leaders in Kolkata on Wednesday, she claimed that the state was being "unfairly maligned" in the name of the Waqf law and pointed out that the areas witnessing unrest were actually under Congress' control.
"There have been some irregularities in certain areas of Murshidabad concerning the Waqf Act," she admitted, while firmly denying the Opposition’s claims that her party was involved in the violence. "If the TMC was truly behind the violence, as the opposition alleges, then why were our leaders' homes attacked?" Banerjee questioned, defending her party’s stance and highlighting the targeted nature of the violence. Declaring that the Trinamool Congress is at the forefront of the fight against the Waqf Act in Parliament, the Bengal Chief Minister also accused sections of the media of spreading misleading visuals.
Mamata accuses Centre of defaming Bengal
During her address, Banerjee also accused the Centre of defaming Bengal with misleading narratives and fake visuals. "The Centre hiked petrol, diesel prices and some 'godi media' speak only against Bengal, speak against me. I just want to say that if you have to tell anything then come infront of me and say it. You people publish fake news. Some media people have come from outside (the state) and are showing fake videos. We have nabbed them... out of eight videos... some are from Karnataka, some from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar or Rajasthan and they are tarnishing Bengal. They should be ashamed."
Mamata dismisses BJP's allegations of religious bias
Mamata Banerjee also hit back strongly at the BJP's allegations of religious bias, asserting that her government respects and celebrates all faiths equally. "Where does the BJP go when we renovate Kaali temples? When we celebrate Durga Puja, they claim we don't allow festivities. Saraswati Puja is celebrated in every household in Bengal, yet they say we have stopped it. These are baseless allegations,' she said. Emphasising the state's inclusive tradition, she said, "Everyone must respect all religions — that is our heritage.” She reiterated her belief in 'Sarva Dharma Samabhava', the principle of equal respect for all religions, and cited her spiritual admiration for Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda as guiding inspirations for her values.
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