Kolkata, March 14 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said on Friday that the state BJP unit will be organising at least 2,000 rallies, big and small combined, on the occasion of Ram Navami this year scheduled on April 6.
Speaking at a public meeting at his constituency of Nandigram in East Midnapore district, LoP Adhikari also added that the participation at the rallies on Ram Navami this year will be double than what it was last year.
“Ram Navami will be celebrated this year in a major way. I will be there on the streets on that day. Last year around 50 lakh Hindus were there on the streets to participate in rallies on the occasion of Ram Navami. Last year there were 1,000 rallies. This year there will be 2,000 rallies and around one crore Hindus will participate in those rallies this year,” he said.
He also added that since there will be no requirement for prior administrative permission to participate in the rallies, the participation will be spontaneous.
Speaking on the occasion, LoP Adhikari said that the construction of a Ram Temple at Sonachura in Nandigram will begin on April 6.
“The temple will be in lines of the iconic Ram Temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. The foundation stone laying ceremony will be on the occasion of Ram Navami this year. There will be temple-related adjacent facilities there. There is an ayurvedic and an allopathic dispensary adjacent to the temple,” he added.
Meanwhile, the ruling Trinamool Congress leadership has described LoP Adhikari’s speech on Ram Navami rallies as an indirect attempt to instigate tension over the Ram Navami festival.
“All religious festivals, including Ram Navami, is celebrated in West Bengal peacefully every year. I do not know what does the Leader of the Opposition actually want,” said the Union Minister of State for Finance (Independent charge) Chandrima Bhattacharya.
–IANS
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