The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday officially distanced itself from controversial statements about Lord Ram made by its party MLA, Madan Mitra. The move came after the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shared a video on social media platform X, allegedly featuring Mitra making the remarks during a public meeting.
TMC's Official Stance and Spokesperson's Remarks
Addressing the media, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh explicitly stated the party's dissociation from Mitra's comments. He emphasized the party's reverence for Hindu epics, saying, "All of us know ‘Ramayana' and Ayodhya and we are not fit to comment on what Madan Mitra says."
Ghosh further elaborated, "When it is about Madan Mitra, we are not fit to comment on what he says. We have read ‘Ramayana', we know about Ayodhya, Lanka and also Sitamarhi. Beyond that, we have nothing to say." This careful response aimed to navigate the sensitive religious and political landscape without endorsing the MLA's alleged statements.
The Controversial Video and Conflicting Claims
The political firestorm began earlier on Thursday when the Bengal BJP posted the video on X. In the clip, Mitra is heard making certain statements concerning Lord Ram. However, the MLA himself did not issue a public statement following the video's release.
Sources close to Madan Mitra immediately countered the BJP's narrative, claiming the video was "false, fabricated and AI-generated." They asserted that Mitra's actual words were that "Lord Ram is above religion," and this was being deliberately misconstrued for political gain. This incident is not the first time Mitra has found himself in hot water for his outspoken remarks.
BJP's Accusations and Political Dare
The state BJP did not hold back in its criticism of the TMC following the video's release. In their social media post, they framed the comments as part of a larger pattern, stating, "This continuous abuse of our culture and history is not a slip of tongue! Rather it is a not-so-subtle message to illegal Bangladeshis, that TMC is the most ‘Hindu-birodhi' party, and therefore represents their beliefs."
Furthermore, the BJP openly challenged the ruling party in West Bengal to take disciplinary action against its own MLA. They dared the TMC leadership to act against Mitra, turning the issue into a test of the party's stance on Hindu sentiments. The TMC, aside from Ghosh's dissociation, has largely refused to comment further on the matter, while the MLA's camp continues to deny the authenticity of the video.
The episode underscores the highly charged atmosphere where religious symbolism and political rhetoric are deeply intertwined, especially in the lead-up to significant elections. Both parties are leveraging the situation to consolidate their respective voter bases.
