Mamata condemns assault on two Muslim food vendors in Kolkata
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has condemned the assault on two Muslim food vendors selling non-vegetarian patties near a “Gita Path” event in Kolkata, asserting that such incidents will not be tolerated in the state.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Mamata Banerjee addressing a public meeting in Krishnanagar said, “All of them (accused) have been arrested. This is West Bengal, not Uttar Pradesh. They beat up patty sellers. We arrested everyone last night.”
She said the Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to import a culture of communal division into the state.
According to the complainants, hailing from Topsia in Kolkata and Arambagh in Hooghly district, they were attacked when they had gone to the venue to sell chicken patties. The accused reportedly threw away their stock and forced them to perform sit-ups while holding their ears. A video of the incident went viral on social media.
Referring to the mass Bhagavad Gita recital event held in Kolkata, which saw several senior BJP leaders in attendance, she slammed the saffron party for “invoking religious texts for political mobilisation.”
Training her guns on the saffron party, Banerjee said, “I do not believe in communal divisions. I want to walk with all religions. What is the need to hold a public meeting just to read the Gita? Those who pray to God or seek blessings from Allah do so in their hearts.”
