New Delhi: The saffron storm that has rocked Bengal with Jai Shri Ram chants and an 18-seat-win for the BJP has now yielded with the ruling Trinamool Congress removing state minister Firhad Hakim from the Tarakeshwar Development Authority (TDA). The TMC has instead appointed former MP of Hoogly Ratna De Nag. 

Hakim, who is also the urban development minister and a close aide of Mamata, has been long opposed by the BJP for chairing the board. BJP has often alleged, it is tantamount to hurting religious sensibilities of Hindus as Tarakeshwar temple is one of the top religious destinations of Bengal. The BJP had also alleged Mamata to be playing appeasement politics by appointing a Muslim leader as the head of the board. The board was to also take care of the Tarakeshwar temple, a 288-year-old Shiva temple.

Back when Hakim was appointed, Kailash Vijayvargiya had tweeted, “She (Mamata) has committed the same mistake which Akhilesh Yadav did in Uttar Pradesh. Akhilesh had appointed Azam Khan as the prabhari of Kumbh and now the election results are there in front of everyone”. In fact, Subramanian Swamy too had threatened with legal action.

But TMC didn’t pay heed to this opposition. Now with the new political reality of Bengal slowly seeping in, the TMC government seems to have been forced to do a rethink on it which has ensured Firhad Hakim’s removal.

BJP has made a massive dent in TMC fortune with a gain of 16 seats, riding high on its Hindu consolidation. Ever since the results, Mamata Banerjee has been greeted with Jai Shri Ram chants where ever she went, leaving her furious. Even during the oath-taking as MP various BJP MPs including Locket Chatterjee used “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Ma Kali” chants. 

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