West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led an "all-faith" rally in Kolkata, coinciding with the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. During the rally, Banerjee visited various places of worship symbolising different religions, which included mosques, churches, and gurdwaras.
In a video shared on the TMC's official X(formerly known as Twitter) account, Banerjee, who initiated the 'Sanghati' march from Hazra More, can be observed walking through a sizable crowd and offering greetings with folded hands. The Chief Minister was dressed in her iconic white and blue-bordered cotton saree, complemented by a shawl around her neck. The rally is scheduled to conclude at Park Circus Maidan with a large gathering later in the day.
The rally aligns with the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya. Earlier, the CM had declined the invitation to attend the consecration ceremony saying, “The event is a gimmick show before the Lok Sabha polls”. She added that she “does not support festivities that exclude other communities”.
Hitting out at the BJP, Banerjee had said, “It is not our (politicians) job to do 'Pran Pratishtha'. It is the job of the priests. Our job is to create infrastructure.”