Kolkata : The Bengali tradition of Tarpan (offering water and other religious objects to forefathers) has now become a bone of contention between the TMC and the BJP with both accusing each other of playing politics with it.
While the BJP, on the occasion of Mahalaya, organised a mass tarpan at Baghbazar ghat, one of the banks of river Hooghly, to pay homage to 62 deceased who lost their lives in political violence meted out by the ruling Trinamool Congress in presence of national BJP president JP Nadda, the TMC condemned it saying it’s a political gimmick and the Hindu tradition is being distorted.
On Mahalaya, which marks the beginning of Devi Paksha ,and end of Pitri paksha, the devout Hindus offer rice and water as there’s a popular belief that forefathers can receive this offering in heaven.
Senior BJP leaders are of the opinion that this is one of the ways to connect with the Hindu masses of Bengal, ahead of the Assembly elections. This is also a step to bring confidence among the masses, that the central leadership is concerned with the violence against the BJP workers in the state and is ready to provide all support to the relatives of the BJP karyakartas who has lost their lives.
JP Nadda, BJP national president after conducting mass tarpan and hearing the grievances of the relatives of the deceased, said: “We feel in Bengal a “Jungelraj” is going on under Trinamool Congress regime and it should be stopped. We are trying to help
Firhad Hakim, Mayor of Kolkata and TMC leader said: “BJP is playing politics with the Hindu sentiments . They are trying to curb democracy in West Bengal and trying to de-stabilise the democracy of Bengal.”
Series of issues that created bone of contention between the TMC and BJP.
1) The BJP has organised Ram Navami rally in West Bengal as a part of their effort to connect with the Hindu community. As a counter move, theTMC has also organised Ram Navami rallies in various parts of the state.
2)After winning 18 out of 42 seats in the Lok Sabha election from West Bengal, the BJP has decided to make use of the Durga Puja to reach out to the people and according to the state leadership they have already received proposals from various puja pandal committess to inaugurate the Puja. The BJP has decided to bring Amit Shah to inaugurate some of the popular Pujas in Bengal. Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has already started the inauguration of the Durga Puja a day before the Mahalaya and is scheduled to inaugurate around 70 Durga Pujas in the state.While the TMC claims that BJP is afraid of the mammoth success of the TMC government for organising the Durga Puja festival in such a grand manner, especially the Durga Puja carnival, that is organised after the Puja, BJP claims that they have already received invitations and they have decided to bring Amit Shah for inaugurating the festival.