Efforts on to introduce 'inhuman' religion in India: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has alleged that efforts are on to introduce an "inhuman" religion in the country on the basis of divisive politics. In an apparent attack on the BJP on Thursday, Banerjee accused the saffron party of trying to impose its choice of food, clothing and religion on the people and then deciding who would stay in the country and who would be thrown out.

"They are trying to create an inhuman religion based on their belief and decide who are going to stay in the country and who will leave. They are deciding in which language people will speak, what the people will eat and wear. They are trying to change the history of the country," she said at a programme on the International Mother Language Day.

"If some people are trying to implement one law as per their will, we will not let them do so. We don't support this theory of divisive politics...," the chief minister said. Banerjee urged people not to pay heed to provocations meant to create differences among them and stay united. "United India is what we want. Let's think and speak about unity.... There must not be any divide and rule policy," she said.

Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress chief, said she does not believe in the politics of dividing people on the basis of their religion, caste and creed. The chief minister also criticised the threats that a Kashmiri medical practitioner in Kolkata received following the Pulwama terror attack.

"We cannot ask a Kashmiri shawl trader to leave because an incident has happened. How audacious they are to order one doctor who is practising here for more than 20 years to leave for one single incident," she said. She asked people to use their mother tongue to protest the move to divide the country.

Earlier in the day, Banerjee had urged people to respect all languages, but take pride in their mother tongue. "Best wishes to all on International Mother Language Day. Respect all languages but take pride in your mother tongue," she tweeted.

International Mother Language Day is observed around the world on February 21 to promote awareness on linguistic and cultural diversity.