Does loving Hindus means you have to hate Muslims, asks Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee attended a special prayer gathering to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr in Kolkata today. The chief minister had a message for those who accuse her of minority appeasement.

"Some accuse me of (doing) Muslim appeasement. My question to them is whether loving Hindus means you have to hate Muslims. I respect and love all communities and religion. This country belongs to everybody," news agency PTIquoted Mamata Banerjee saying.

The BJP and some other organisations have been charging the West Bengal Chief Minister with appeasement of Muslims for political gains.

Mamata Banerjee said the NITI Aayog meeting was moved to tomorrow after she lodged protest over the event coinciding with Eid.

"My question to the Central government officials is whether they are not aware that Eid is scheduled to be celebrated on June 16. Why the NITI Aayog meeting was kept on that day? I had written to the Central government urging it to change the date so that it doesn't clash with Eid," the West Bengal Chief Minister said.

Mamata Banerjee on Friday confirmed her participation in the NITI Aayog's rescheduled governing council meeting in New Delhi on June 17.

The meeting, which will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was earlier scheduled on June 16, the day when Eid-ul-Fitr is to be celebrated.

Mamata Banerjee along with a few other chief ministers had expressed their unwillingness to attend the meeting in view of the festival, following which it was postponed to June 17.