WestBengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ending her Nandigram assembly electioncampaign by proclaiming that she belongs to the Shandilya gotra of Brahminsadds an incendiary element to the very charged up Bengal elections of 2021.
Ata time when the BJP has invoked Hindutva icons and issues to win a state it hasnever won before, Mamata is now wearing her Hindu identity interspersed withBengali pride into the business leg of the campaign.
ToMamata's advantage, invoking her Hindu Brahmin identity is now being amplifiedinto the second round of polling in the 8-leg marathon election. Mamata isbattling friend-turned-foe Suvendu Adhikari who has joined the BJP, for thehigh-profile Nandigram seat.
TheBJP has countered Mamata's comment and said this shows that defeat is certainfor the incumbent. BJP leader and Union Minister Giriraj Singh said that Mamatawas announcing her gotra in desperation.
"Inever need to say it is my gotra, I write it. But she says it out of fear oflosing the election. Mamata Banerjee, please tell me whether Rohingya andinfiltrators are also of the Shandilya gotra? Her defeat is certain,"Singh said.
Respondingto Giriraj Singh, Mahua Mitra, Trinamool Congress MP introduced the"rakshasa" narrative into the already incendiary vocabulary exchange.
Moitrajust stopped short of calling Singh "Chotiwala Rakshasa Clan (PonytailedDemonic clan)".
"UnionMinister Giriraj Says Mamata's from 'Rohingya Clan' Proud of it. Far betterthan being from the Chotiwala Rakshasa Clan!" Mitra said in a tweet.
LocketChatterjee, BJP MP from Hooghly, attacked the Trinammol and Mitra for"appeasement politics".
"Proudof being a Rohingya and calling Hindus Rakshas is a new low even by TMC'sotherwise low standards! Shame on their appeasement politics...", the BJPMP said in a tweet.
AIMIMchief Asaduddin Owaisi also waded into the controversy and pointed out both BJPand TMC for 'invoking Hindutva' during campaign rallies.
"Whatshould happen to people like me who aren't Shandilya or Janeudhari (a referenceto Rahul Gandhi), aren't bhakts of certain gods, don't recite Chalisa or anyPaath? Every party feels that it has to show its Hindu credentials to win.Unprincipled, insulting & unlikely to succeed", Owaisi said.
Ina final gambit just before the curtains came down on campaigning for the secondphase of the Bengal election that will include Nandigram seat, Mamata said shebelongs to Shandilya- one of the eight highest Brahmin 'gotras'.
TheChief Minister led off by reminiscing about visits to temples, where priestsasked her for her 'gotra' or lineage.
"Duringmy second campaign, I visited a temple where the priest enquired about my'gotra'. I told him 'Maa Maati Manush' (the slogan that powered her to victoryin 2011)," Banerjee said, before adding, "Actually. I amShandilya."