Mamata had to prove Hindu identity, alleges BJP leader

BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha has alleged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had taken her Muslim appeasement to such a level that she had to prove she was a Hindu when seeking entry to the Jagannath Temple at Puri recently.
Sinha was reacting to the West Bengal chief minister's recent comment that she should not be taught Hinduism by the BJP at an event here yesterday where BJP president Amit Shah was present.
The chief minister faced embarassment during her April 19 visit to the famous temple when a sevayat (priest) at Puri's Jagannath temple had asked her not to enter the temple.

"What a shame! Does any Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Sikh has to wear his religious identity on his sleeve? Only Mamata has to do such thing as she believes in Muslim appeasement politics," Sinha told a gathering at Mahajati Sadan where the event took place.
Sinha went on to allege, "Mamata is even violating Hadis by wearing hizab, observing Roza and offering Namaz which she cannot do as a non-Muslim. Being respectful to other religions is one thing and herself offering namaz is another."
He observed that the BJP was not anti-Muslim but believed in inclusive politics and not appeasement.

Sinha also accused the TMC government of turning a blind eye to a section of people who "wave Pakistani flags and burst crackers on Pak cricket team's victory.

Party observer for Bengal Kailash Vijayvargiya, who was also present in the event, regretted that "Saraswsti puja could not be performed in all schools" and said that henceforth all BJP programmes would start with Saraswati Vandana.
On April 25, the chief minister had during a rally in Cooch Behar asked people of the state not to support the BJP, alleging that the saffron outfit "divides people in the name of religion."
"We do not believe in BJP's Hindutva which divides people. They are not Hindus. They defame Hinduism. They create communal tension in the name of religion. I am a Hindu. I love and respect all religions. We will not tolerate communal flare-up in the name of religion," she had said.