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Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a bid to target West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during an election campaign rally, invoked the iconic character of 'Hirak Raja' from Satyajit Ray's classic film, 'Hirak Rajar Deshe'. Shah, in his speech, suggested that if Ray were alive today to witness Banerjee's alleged misrule, he would have created a sequel to the film titled 'Hirak Rani', with the protagonist being Banerjee herself.
Shah further criticized the current conditions in Bengal under the TMC government, alleging rampant violence, oppression, and appeasement in the state. He accused Banerjee of overseeing the looting of public money and central funds, supporting his claims by highlighting the frequent use of the moniker 'Hirak Rani' by Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the Bengal assembly, to accuse Banerjee of the same.
The original film, 'Hirak Rajar Deshe', is a musical fantasy that tells the tale of a tyrant ruler, 'Hirak Raja' (played by Utpal Dutt), and a teacher named 'Udayan Pandit' (played by Soumitra Chatterjee) who defies the king and inspires the peasants to revolt against his oppressive regime.
Emphasizing the contributions of Bengal's revolutionaries to the freedom movement, Shah expressed sadness over how the Communists and the Trinamool Congress have worked to diminish nationalism in the state, particularly given Bengal's prominent role in the struggle for independence.
On the other hand, Mamata Banerjee announced that her party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), will provide external support to the opposition INDIA alliance in order to facilitate the formation of a government at the Centre.
Despite being part of the INDIA bloc, the TMC has decided to contest independently in Bengal, while the Congress and the Left Front have a seat-sharing arrangement in the state.
Banerjee stated that the TMC's external support is intended to ensure that the people of Bengal, especially women and those employed in the 100-day job scheme, do not face any problems.
Overall, the article highlights the political dynamics and strategies at play in the context of the West Bengal elections, with Amit Shah using a literary reference to criticize the ruling party and Mamata Banerjee outlining her party's plans for post-election support.
Source: Amit Shah invokes Satyajit Ray's classic to target Mamata Banerjee: ‘Would have made Hirak Rani’