Kolkata, April 15 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday conveyed greetings on the occasion of Bengal New Year’s Day, Poila Boishakh, posting messages in both Bengali and English.

Both leaders shared their greetings on their official social media handles with the same messages in English and Bengali.

In his message, the Prime Minister avoided any political reference and focused on cultural and social harmony.

“I pray that the coming year marks the fulfilment of all of your wishes. May the spirit of happiness and brotherhood always prevail? Wishing you good health and lots of happiness, and brotherhood always prevails. Wishing you good health and lots of happiness. This is also an occasion to celebrate the timeless richness of West Bengal’s culture that has shaped India’s civilisation spirit,” read the Prime Minister’s message.

However, the Union Home Minister had given an extremely subtle political message ahead of the crucial two-phase assembly polls in the state later this month as he said that his wish is that in the Bengali New Year, West Bengal enters a new era of development, good governance, and welfare.

“Heartfelt best wishes to our sisters and brothers of West Bengal on the occasion of Poila Boishakh. May West Bengal, a land endowed with a rich cultural heritage and literary excellence, and blessed with the sacred history of revolutionaries of the freedom struggle, enter a new era of development, good governance, and welfare in the new year. Wish the people of the state a bright and prosperous future,” HM Shah’s message read.

However, neither the Prime Minister nor the Union Home Minister resorted to any kind of direct or indirect political attack against the BJP’s principal opponent in West Bengal — Trinamool Congress and the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, which the latter exactly did in her Bengali New Year Greetings message, though without directly naming the BJP or the Prime Minister or the Union Home Minister.

“Just as our Bengal is the cradle of art and culture, so too is it the cradle of harmony among all religions. Some malevolent forces are leaving no stone unturned to tarnish this Bengal. Delhi’s zamindars are usurping people’s voting rights. Remember, we must give them a democratic answer,” read the Chief Minister’s message.

–IANS

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