West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday changed her display picture on popular social media platforms Twitter and Facebook to ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Jai Bangla’ amid a war of words with the Bharatiya Janata Party which she has accused of creating communal trouble the state by "mixing religion with politics".
The official handles of Mamata-led Trinamool Congress were also changed to ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Jai Bangla’ with pictures of Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, Matangini Hazra, Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam. Many leaders from her party have also updated their profile pictures accordingly.
The change in social media profile pictures are seen as Trinamool Congress's effort to use Bangla sub-nationalism to counter what it calls the BJP's "misconceived strategy of mixing religion with politics". In recent days, the BJP supporters have been confronting Mamata and other Trinamool Congress leaders by shouting the Jai Shri Ram slogan in the wake of the saffron party’s major gains in recent parliamentary elections in West Bengal. On two occasions, a furious Mamata had come out of her car and shouted back at the slogan-shouting BJP supporters and accused the BJP of trying to create communal tension in the state.
A newly-elected BJP lawmaker from Bengal Arjun Singh, who switched over from Trinamool Congress just before the elections, claimed that the saffron party would send one million post cards with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ written on them" to Mamata. Mamata in a Facebook post on Sunday said she does not have a problem with the slogan "Jai Shri Ram" but objected to the manner in which it is being used by BJP workers to "create unrest in West Bengal by mixing religion with politics".
On Monday, federal minister and BJP lawmaker from Asanso, Babul Supriyo said Mamata was "rattled by the BJP's surge in Bengal". "She should keep in mind the dignity of the post she holds. She should take a break for a few days. She's rattled by BJP's presence in Bengal," said Supriyo. The BJP's tally of parliamentary seats in West Bengal went up sharply from just two seats five years ago to 18 in the recently-concluded general elections while the Trinamool Congress scored marginally better with 22 this time as against 34 in 2014.
Last week, speaking at a public rally in Naihati, Mamata said Trinamool Congress will give a proper reply to all the violence allegedly being indulged in by the BJP. She reiterated her stand that she wants everyone to stay together, be they Bengalis or non-Bengalis. It was only a few non-Bengali goons from other States who created trouble here, she said.
She also announced the setting up of Banga Janani Vahinis, comprising women, and Jai Hind Vahinis, consisting of youths, in every block across Bengal to fight the alleged atrocities of the BJP. They will keep a close watch on all signs of violence and nip them in the bud, and even fight those who commit violence, if necessary, Mamata added.