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West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has sparked a row ahead of the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections. In a video of a campaign speech, she is purportedly seen talking about the end of religious scriptures such as the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bible, and Quran.

The BJP has hit out at her, even as the Trinamool Congress chairperson has called the clip “edited”. However, state minister Firhad Hakim can be seen describing it as a “slip of the tongue” in another video posted on social media by BJP leader Amit Malviya.

What’s the issue?

Malviya shared the purported video of Banerjee where she is heard saying, “Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bible, and Quran will be gone someday. But my stories won’t be over.” News18 has not independently verified the authenticity of the video.

Malviya has also claimed that while a Muslim journalist protested against this remark, she was detained by the Kolkata Police. “This shows that Mamata Banerjee uses Muslims for votes and will never hesitate to throw them under the bus once her purpose is served,” the BJP leader alleged.

The matter took an interesting turn when Malviya also cited another purported video of Firhad Hakim, Kolkata mayor and minister in Mamata’s cabinet, where he is seen explaining the purported gaffe. “It was a slip of the tongue in a flow during one of the meetings,” Hakim is heard saying.

Fake allegations, says Mamata

But on Monday, Banerjee hit back at the allegations calling them “fake”. “What did I say? But you edited and used it against me. One should be ashamed. The way I help you, no one will help you ever in life…every religion,” said the chief minister who was addressing Hindi-speaking electorates of north Kolkata during an election rally.

She went on to clarify her position and what she claimed was the real context. “What did I say? I said that if I start talking about development that we have done from the booth level (and upward), it will take a long time. If we start discussing that, it will take more time than reading the Ramayana, Quran, Mahabharata, and the Bible. So, where’s the objection? I didn’t ask to end the Quran, disrespect Allah, end Mahabharata, end Ved. I have never said it and I never do — you should know it. This is the game of Congress and CPI(M),” said the CM.

She blamed a regional news channel for editing what she said and giving it a twist.

But the question opponents are asking is if indeed Banerjee’s video was edited as shared by Malviya, why was her minister Firhad Hakim explaining it as “slip of the tongue” in another purported video posted by the BJP leader?

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