Bhopal, Feb 19 (IANS): Senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister, Rajendra Shukla, criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday for her "Mrityu Kumbh" remark and said that she has hurt the religious sentiments of crores of Hindus.
The BJP leader termed Banerjee's remark on Maha Kumbh as "condemnable" and "irresponsible".
"Maha Kumbh is a matter of faith of Hindus and Sanatan Dharma. The people had been doing 'kalpvaas' in Prayagraj for the last several centuries and making such remark on this holy Kumbh is highly condemnable," he told IANS.
He alleged that the West Bengal CM and other opposition leaders criticise Maha Kumbh because they can't appreciate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's progressive steps.
"Leaders like Mamata Banerjee have nothing to do with the people and development of the country. They would always try create unrest to for their political benefit. Their main interest is to remain in power only," BJP leader Shukla added.
Hitting out further at the West Bengal CM, the BJP leader said: "Mamata Banerjee was reluctant to implement even Ayushman Yojana in West Bengal."
The Sant Samaj has also reacted sharply to CM Banerjee's remark on Maha Kumbh, saying her statement is an insult to Sanatan Dharma.
National secretary of the Shri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani Mahant Jamuna Puri said: "The Prayagraj Maha Kumbh is Amrit Parv, the divinity and grandeur of which has been seen by the whole world. She should not have used such derogatory words for Maha Kumbh."
Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Arun Giri of the Panch Dashnam Awahan Akhara strongly criticised the Trinamool Congress Chief's statement, saying, "West Bengal is becoming a 'mrityu pradesh' (state of death) for Hindu Sanatanis. Thousands of Sanatanis are being massacred and lakhs of Hindus have to migrate at the time of elections."
On Tuesday, the West Bengal Chief Minister launched an all-out attack on her Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath, saying that the deaths in the stampede at Prayagraj occurred due to "mismanagement".
She has said that Prayagraj Maha Kumbh has turned out to be "Mrityu Kumbh", alleging that while VIPs were given special privileges, the poor did not even have access to essential facilities.