Kolkata, Sep 20 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Saturday, inaugurated several Durga puja mandaps and used the occasion to send the message of unity in diversity.

While inaugurating a Durga puja mandap in Kolkata, Chief Minister Banerjee once again highlighted the issue of alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking migrant workers across the country.

“In Bengal, different communities celebrate the festival of Durga Puja together. All of them come together on the occasion of Durga Puja, which defines the unique spirit of Bengal. Someone may call his mother ‘Maa’, and another may say ‘Amma’. But the love, respect, bonding remains the same,” the Chief Minister said after inaugurating the mandap at Sreebhumi Durga Puja.

“I respect my mother tongue. I also respect the mother tongues of other people. They should also respect Bengali. Bengali-speaking migrant workers should not be harassed in any way. We must remain united against all conspiracies to divide us. Otherwise the country will split. One has to remember that Bengal is a part of India and we must be respectful about Bengal, its culture, songs and creative works,” she added.

The Chief Minister also urged people to stay safe in view of the inclement weather and asked people not to get wet in the rain.

“We have to be alert. We are keeping a watch on the situation. If there is rain in Jharkhand, Bihar and our state gets affected. Similarly, if neighbouring states experience heavy rainfall, it often results in floods here due to overflowing reservoirs. Given Bengal’s geographic location, we face such challenges. Let’s hope for a rain-free Durga Puja as lakhs of people eagerly await the festivities,” she said.

The Chief Minister told that she will inaugurate 3,000 Durga pujas, most of these virtually, ahead of the five-day festival.

She added that 17 songs written by her will be released on Mahalaya (Sunday), marking the beginning of Devi Paksha.

On Saturday afternoon, the Chief Minister also inaugurated the Hatibagan Durga Puja and the Tala Prottoy Puja.

“I am not unveiling the deities, that can be done only from Mahalaya, marking the advent of Devi Paksha. I am only inaugurating the pandals having beautiful interiors reflecting the heritage and aesthetics of Bengal,” she added.

–IANS

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