BJP Vows to Elevate Gangasagar Mela, Eyes Ayodhya Pilgrims on Holy Island
Majumdar's Promise Counters Mamata's Accusation, Ghosh Visits Amid Party's Ram Temple Push
On Wednesday, State BJP President Sukanta Majumdar promised that the Gangasagar Mela would grow to be as large as the Kumbh Mela. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier accused the Narendra Modi government of undermining the Bengal pilgrimage, which attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over the nation.
"One of the most important pilgrimages in our nation is Gangasagar. Standing on this sacred ground, I promise that we will make sure that the Gangasagar Mela develops into an event like to the Kumbh in the future. After opening a tent for health examinations during the pilgrimage, Majumdar said, "We will make all the necessary preparations for this.
On Wednesday, Dilip Ghosh, the former state head of the BJP, was also at Gangasagar.
According to a BJP source, Majumdar and Ghosh's visit was a component of the party's strategy to promote the opening of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The source said that thousands of visitors flocked to the location for a sacred dip, mostly from the Hindi heartland, and that the party want to advocate for the temple among them.
Mamata opened the Gangasagar Mela on Tuesday, and it will run till January 17.
"The party must refute Mamata's claim that the Center is sabotaging the pilgrimage since doing so would mislead visitors from neighboring states. According to a BJP spokesperson, "Our leaders will stay in Gangasagar till the fair ends this year in order to campaign for the opening of the Ram temple."
This time, thousands of people from outside Bengal had begun arriving on the island quite early in order to travel to Ayodhya to visit the Ram temple as soon as Prime Minister Narendra Modi opens it on January 22, even though the biggest influx is probably going to occur on Makar Sankranti day, January 15.
On Wednesday, Majumdar gave warm garments to the devotees and opened a free health check-up camp organized by the BJP.
The BJP was derided by the Trinamul Congress for their pledge to transform Gangasagar Mela into a Kumbh Mela. "They would have acknowledged Gangasagar as a gathering of national significance if they had to take any action for it. They were never going to help Bengal in any way. "Our chief minister has taken every measure to ensure the pilgrims' comfort," said Bankim Hazra, the Sunderbans affairs minister and Sagar Island Trinamul MLA.
