People wrongly accuse me of appeasement; I am secular in true sense: Mamata
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday rejected allegations of indulging in appeasement, asserting that she is "secular in the true sense" and participates in programmes across faiths without discrimination.
She was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of ‘Durga Angan’, a cultural complex dedicated to Goddess Durga, at New Town in Kolkata.
“People accuse me of indulging in appeasement, but it is not correct. I am secular in the true sense,” she said, adding that she attends programmes of all religions.
The Trinamool Congress chief did not identify the accuser, but the opposition BJP often charges her with appeasing the Muslims.
“You do not say anything when I visit a gurdwara, but start criticising me when I attend an Eid programme,” Banerjee said.
Banerjee also flagged concerns over the ongoing SIR process, alleging harassment of people and loss of lives.
“People are being harassed unnecessarily. Over 50 lives have been lost within a month during the SIR process,” she claimed.
“We will continue fighting to protect the democratic rights of people and are ready to lay down our lives for that,” Banerjee said.
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Two women from Telangana die in road accident in US
Hyderabad (PTI): Even death could not separate two childhood friends from Telangana, who lost their lives in a road accident in the United States.
The victims, Meghana Rani and K Bhavana, both aged 24 and natives of Mahabubabad district, died in a car accident in Bishop City, California, at around 3 am (IST) on Monday, while they were on a tour, according to information received by their family members.
"They were classmates in school, during their BTech and later during their Master’s studies in the US," Meghana’s cousin Mani Kumar told PTI.
After completing engineering from a private college in Hyderabad, the two went to the US in 2022 and completed their MS degrees there, he said, adding that they were currently looking for jobs.
According to him, friends in the US informed the families about the accident.
BRS Rajya Sabha member Vaddiraju Ravichandra expressed grief over the deaths.
He spoke to the parents of the deceased and assured them that he would take up the matter with the concerned officials to facilitate the return of the mortal remains, according to a press release.
Bhavana’s father, Kadiyala Koteswara Rao, is the Upa Sarpanch of Mulkanoor village, while Meghana’s father, Prallakhandam Venkata Nageswara Rao, runs a ‘Mee Seva’ citizen service centre as a franchisee, the release added.
