Mamata conveys message of peace from Furfura Sharif; slams oppn for questioning visit to shrine

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday conveyed the message of “harmony, peace and unity” from Furfura Sharif, while slamming opposition voices that questioned her intentions behind visiting the prominent shrine.

Banerjee visited Furfura Sharif, a village in Hooghly district – which houses the sacred shrine of Mohammad Abu Bakr Siddique, a prominent ‘pir’ (religious leader) of a section of Bengali Muslims – after nearly a decade, and held a meeting with the local religious leaders before participating in the community’s Iftar.

“I am disappointed to see reports in sections of the media questioning my intentions to come here. This isn’t my first visit to this place; I have been here about 15-16 times before. Why do you not ask this question when I visit Kashi Vishwanath Temple or Pushkar? Why do you stay silent when I observe Durga Puja and Kali Puja or participate in Christmas celebrations? Why weren’t questions asked when I wished everyone during Holi?” the TMC chief said.

“The soil of Bengal is the soil of harmony, and our message from this platform is one of harmony, peace and unity among all communities of the state,” she asserted.

Earlier in the day, various opposition leaders took a dig at Banerjee’s visit to Furfura Sharif, claiming that her “true intentions” were “political” and intended at “seeking electoral support from the Muslim community in the state assembly elections scheduled next year”.