Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday conveyed the message of “harmony, peace and unity” from Furfura Sharif, while slamming opposition voices that questioned her intentions behind visiting the prominent shrine.
Banerjee visited Furfura Sharif, a village in Hooghly district – which houses the sacred shrine of Mohammad Abu Bakr Siddique, a prominent ‘pir’ (religious leader) of a section of Bengali Muslims – after nearly a decade, and held a meeting with the local religious leaders before participating in the community’s Iftar.
The ‘pirs’ or religious leaders of Furfura Sharif are believed to hold considerable sway over significant sections of Bengali-speaking Muslims in the state and, as such, have been previously wooed by political dispensations as a possible vote bank.
“I am disappointed to see reports in sections of the media questioning my intentions to come here. This isn’t my first visit to this place, I have been here about 15-16 times before. Why do you not ask this question when I visit Kashi Vishwanath Temple or Pushkar? Why do you stay silent when I observe Durga Puja and Kali Puja or participate in Christmas celebrations? Why weren’t questions asked when I wished everyone during Holi?” the TMC chief said.
“The soil of Bengal is the soil of harmony and our message from this platform is one of harmony, peace and unity among all communities of the state,” she asserted.
The chief minister also assured the Furfura leaders that she would look into certain demands of local infrastructure development raised by the residents. She announced the setting up of a polytechnic college in the area, too.
Earlier in the day, various opposition leaders took a dig at Banerjee’s visit to Furfura Sharif, claiming that her “true intentions” were “political” and intended at “seeking electoral support from the Muslim community in the state assembly elections scheduled next year”.
“Mamata Banerjee had taken assistance from Furfura leaders in the past to cement her position in power. She also betrayed the people there by failing to deliver on her promise of railway connectivity in the area. Banerjee is quite aware of the electoral gains she may have if she keeps the Siddique leaders and the ‘pirs’ of the region in good humour,” senior Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury said.
“She wants to go there to seek the support of the community for the upcoming state elections. It is her intention to unify all Muslims under her umbrella and, at the same time, rally as many Hindus as possible in her favour. We are well aware of this strategy,” Chowdhury added.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari dubbed the chief minister’s visit to the shrine as a “pre-election ritual”.
“She visits Furfura Sharif whenever there’s an election knocking at the door,” Adhikari told reporters.
CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty claimed that Banerjee was trying to “test waters” within the Muslim community ahead of the polls.
Pirzada Twaha Siddique, among the clerics of Furfura Sharif with a history of past proximity with the Trinamool Congress, said, “I find it ridiculous that a section of leaders who had consistently bad-mouthed Mamata Banerjee and other TMC leaders in the past are now trying to politically cozy up with her now.”
Pirzada Abbas Siddique, the elder brother to ISF MLA Naushad Siddique who has remained a vociferous critic of Banerjee and among the newer generation of clerics, was conspicuous by his absence from the programme along with his brother.
