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The West Bengal government should declare a holiday on January 22 so that people can participate in the celebrations marking the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday.

In his letter, BJP state president in Bengal, Sukanta Majumdar, said that the chief minister has declared holidays on several special occasions in the past. Hence, he wrote a letter requesting the same to the West Bengal CM, who is set to carry out an all-faith rally on January 22. The rally is receiving strong opposition from the saffron party.

“So we think that on the occasion of the Ram Temple inauguration, the people of the state should also be allowed to participate in the festivities. We therefore request you to officially declare the day as a holiday,” he said.

Central government establishments, public sector banks, insurance companies, financial institutions, and regional rural banks will remain closed for half a day on January 22. Several states such as Assam and Odisha have declared half-working days on the occasion of the Ram Temple ceremony.

“I have requested our Hon’ble CM @MamataOfficial (Mamata Banerjee) to kindly consider declaring 22nd January 2024 to be a school holiday, so that the youth of West Bengal gets to rejoice in the Ram Mandir consecration celebrations,” Majumdar posted on X, sharing a copy of the letter he wrote to the chief minister.

On January 22, Mamata Banerjee is set to take out a ‘rally for harmony’ from the Hazra Crossing in south Kolkata to Park Circus, where a public meeting will also be held.

She will also start the all-faith march after offering ‘puja’ at the ancient Kalighat temple. The all-faith march is scheduled to pass through different places of worship of different religions.

‘Responsibility rests on police, TMC if..’ Opposition Leader on interfaith rally in Bengal

Mamata Banerjee’s interfaith rally in West Bengal on Pran Pratishtha Day has been flagged by the BJP as a threat to harm peace in the state. Recently, Opposition leader Suvendu Addhikari’s plea to postpone West Bengal CM’s interfaith rally was rejected by the Calcutta High Court. In response to the HC’s decision, the BJP leader said that now the responsibility for any violence on that day lies with the West Bengal government and the police.

“The court has included the condition to hold the programme peacefully. Moreover, the chief justice has fixed the liability on the police. Partially, it is a good result. I am happy. If something happens, the responsibility rests on the police and the ruling state party,” Adhikari said, speaking to reporters on Thursday.

He said the Trinamool Congress has organised a public event on the day of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya and he believes that it may lead to untoward incidents in the state.

“I had filed a prayer before the court for a peaceful situation. January 22 is an auspicious day. On this day Hindu organisations and countrymen have organised many programmes, including every corner of West Bengal. The Trinamool has organised another programme on that day. I believe it will hamper peace in our state and may lead to many untoward incidents. I had filed a petition to alter the date. The court has not considered the case,” Adhikari stated.

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Published: 19 Jan 2024, 03:15 PM IST

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