On Sunday (June 11), Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee was allegedly denied entry into the sacred Harichand-Guruchand temple of the Matua community in Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. As per reports, he was stopped by a section of the Matua community and was greeted with black flags and ‘go back’ slogans. Abhishek Banerjee however alleged that it was the handiwork of BJP MP Shantanu Thakur and his followers.
He accused them and CISF personnel, accompanying the BJP MP, of forcibly closing the gates of the main temple and preventing him from offering prayers. The TMC leader also claimed that the central forces assaulted women devotees, who came to pray at the Matua temple.
Ruckus outside #Matua temple in WB
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) June 12, 2023
TMC's Abhishek Banerjee claims 'not allowed to enter', accusing supporters of Union Minister Shantanu Thakur of assaulting TMC female workers
However, BJP says, 'TMC workers forcibly tried to enter temple & clashed with authorities'@Swatij14 pic.twitter.com/hgHWKS4HAn
“The Harichand Thakur temple has been desecrated by Santanu Thakur and his cronies. CISF jawans assaulted women devotees who had come to visit the shrine while throwing out the common people out of the compound,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, the BJP has rubbished the allegations levelled by Abhishek Banerjee. While speaking to the media, BJP MP Shantanu Thakur said, “Abhishek Banerjee had brought in goons to foment trouble but he was thwarted by members of the Matua community.”
He further added, “TMC general secretary was not allowed to use the Matua community for political gains.” Thakur informed that BJP workers and MLA Ashoke Kirtaniya sustained injuries after they were attacked by TMC goons prior to the arrival of Abhishek Banerjee at the Harichand-Guruchand temple.
Some goons of the TMC mishandled the 'purohit'. As soon as I got to know about the altercations, I went to the temple, & there I was also abused & thrashed by TMC workers. Many were critically injured in this incident: @Shantanu_Bjp
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) June 12, 2023
Watch @TheNewshour AGENDA with @PadmajaJoshi pic.twitter.com/BikE1Gk3ZI
He said that the local police and TMC workers manhandled him when he went to meet the injured party workers at the Chandpara Hospital. Thakur also told Times Now that TMC leaders such as Jyotipriyo Mallick, Bratya Basu and Sujit Bose and their supporters assaulted the temple priest.
“They threw the purohit (temple priest) out and prevented the devotees from visiting the main temple…When I was informed about the matter, I reached the temple premises. TMC goons pushed me and abused me verbally,” he narrated.
Shantanu Thakur emphasised, “I am a member of the Matua family. I belong to the 6th generation of Sri Sri Harichand Thakur ji. It is my duty to protect the temple at all costs. And TMC goons were trying to stop me from entering the temple.”
TMC goons have attacked the Holy Shree Dham Temple; Thakurbari of the Matua Community, in front of the Police.
— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) June 11, 2023
I request the Hon'ble Union Home Minister; Shri @AmitShah Ji & @HMOIndia to kindly intervene urgently & provide protection to the members & office bearers of the All… pic.twitter.com/lE1icS68TY
Meanwhile, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari shared a video of TMC workers assaulting devotees of the Matua community in the presence of the police. He requested the Union Home Ministry to intervene in the matter immediately and provide protection to members of the All India Matua Mahasangha.
Abhishek Banerjee had claimed that he could have forcibly entered the Harichand-Guruchand temple with his supporters but supposedly chose to not do so to avoid a clash at the holy site.
“If we wished to do so, I could have forced my way in. But this is not the place for display of power, as it is a holy place. But this temple is not anybody’s paternal property,” he had remarked.
It must be mentioned that the TMC leader later visited the Thakurnagar Thakurbari Matua Dham in Gaighata. The official handle of the party posted pictures of him offering prayers at the temple.
With divine blessings, #TrinamooleNaboJowar proceeds!
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) June 11, 2023
On Day 46 of #JonoSanjogYatra, Nat'l GS Shri @abhishekaitc offered his humble prayers at Thakurnagar Thakurbari Matua Dham in Gaighata.
Praying for the well-being of every single individual, he wished for peace and… pic.twitter.com/SPRXji8rI7
Old video of Mamata Banerjee calling Matua spiritual leader ‘cow’ goes viral
In the meantime, a video of Mamata Banerjee distorting the names of the Holy leaders of the Matua community, namely, Sri Harichand and Sri Guruchand, is going viral on social media.
The video is originally from February 2023 wherein the West Bengal CM is heard mispronouncing the name of Sri Guruchand as ‘Goru-chand (which translates to dumb/cow). She also pronounced the name of Sri Harichand as ‘Roghuchand’.
At that time, International Matua Parishad had given an ultimatum to Mamata Banerjee to apologise for distorting the name of their spiritual leader.
The Matua community paid back the insult done by Mamata Banerjee few months ago by not allowing Abhishek Banerjee to enter the temple today and showed black flag towards him. pic.twitter.com/xsULImCpLV
— Wasooli bhai (@oychunalagadiya) June 11, 2023
“The chief minister has insulted the entire Matua community by mispronouncing the names of the most respected spiritual leaders, Harichand Thakur and Guruchand Thakur,” BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said in February this year.
Who are the Matuas
Matuas are ‘lower-caste’ Hindu immigrants from Bangladesh who have migrated to India, owing to religious persecution. The community was founded by Harichand Thakur (1812-1878) and his son Guruchand Thakur (1846-1937), who lived at Faridpur in Bangladesh.
Although their families came to Bengal in 1946, most of their community members entered India ‘illegally’ after 1971. They hold influence in over 40 constituencies in the State. While they have supported the TMC in the past, the BJP has witnessed a voting shift towards them in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The Matua community in West Bengal is awaiting the implementation of CAA, reports suggest. BJP chief JP Nadda had earlier assured that the rules were being framed for implementation of CAA.
Matuas forms a sizeable vote bank in Nadia, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas and can prove to be a game-changer in the ongoing West Bengal Panchayat elections.
