Mamata calls for unity, slams BJP's 'divisive politics' at Eid prayers
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged people not to fall into provocations that could fuel communal riots and stressed that her government would stand with the residents, ensuring that no one could stir tensions in the state.
Addressing an Eid prayers programme on Red Road here, the Trinamool Congress supremo claimed, "Provocations are being made to fuel riots, but please don't fall into these traps. The West Bengal government stands with the minorities. No one can provoke tensions in the state."
Banerjee also hit out at the BJP, asking, "If they (BJP) have problems with the minorities, will they change the Constitution of the country?"
She reaffirmed her belief in respecting all religions and reiterated her opposition to the BJP's "divisive politics", which she described as "jumla politics" aimed at dividing people.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee also spoke on the occasion, highlighting the unity in the party in resisting the BJP during the last Lok Sabha elections.
"In the last (2024) Lok Sabha polls, we together resisted the march of the BJP," he asserted.
"The BJP says 'Hindus are in danger', and their friends say 'Muslims are in danger'. I would ask them to remove their lens of communal politics. The truth is that the entire country is in danger because of their politics. If they try to create divisions in West Bengal, we will resist it," he added.
Both leaders emphasised that the Trinamool Congress would continue to fight against attempts to sow division and promote communal politics in the state.
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Delhi govt likely to conduct trail for artificial rain in May to combat pollution: Minister
New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI): The Delhi government is likely to conduct a trial for artificial rain in May as part of its efforts to tackle air pollution, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Thursday.
The trial will be carried out in an area in outer Delhi, with the final site selection to be made by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and IIT Kanpur, he said.
Sirsa said the plan is part of a broader strategy to tackle pollution using multiple methods.
“This is a war against pollution and we are working on various measures, with artificial rain being one of them. Before implementing it on a large scale, we will try to conduct a trial in May when summer is at its peak,” he added.
He further said, “We have asked for detailed reports to determine whether the chemicals used in cloud seeding could have any harmful effects on human health or the environment."
Based on the findings, we will conduct a small-scale test and analyze water samples. If the trial is successful, we will expand the project across Delhi during periods of severe pollution, the environment minister said.
