Gita Recitation Draws Huge Crowd in Kolkata

• 5 Lakh+ joined Kolkata Gita recital amid Hindu awakening claims by BJP leaders.
• TMC MLA Humayun Kabir starts 'Babri-style' mosque amid suspension.
• Saints see Gita recital as vital to unite Hindus, save Bengal.

A massive Gita recitation program took place at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata on Sunday, a day after a suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA laid

the foundation stone for a mosque modeled on Ayodhya's 'Babri Masjid' in West Bengal's Murshidabad. The event, organised by Sanatan Sanskriti Sansad, saw the participation of over 5 lakh people who came together for the mass recital of the sacred verses of the Gita. Videos from the event showed how the Brigade Parade Ground reverberated with the sound of drums and cymbals. Speaking to ANI, BJP's Dilip Ghosh hailed the recital, saying that the event shows the "mass awakening of Hindus." "This is the result of the mass awakening of Hindus. Last time it was organised in Siliguri where 1 lakh people participated... Bengal also wants this recital because Hindutva is in danger... Gita is the best medium to unite everyone," Ghosh told ANI.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhDC9jAjE5w

'Attempt to unite Hindus, save Bengal' BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar stated that saints from Bengal have been organising the Gita recitation event and that their blessing is required to save Bengal. "For the past few years, the saints of Bengal have been organising Gita recitations, which are attended by lakhs of people... 5 lakh people are going to come here tomorrow to collectively recite the Gita, in which one chapter will be recited... The blessings of the saints are necessary to save Bengal...," Majumdar told ANI before the event.
On the mass Gita recitation program, Padma Shri awardee Kartik Maharaj, also known as Pradiptananda Maharaj, said, "Bhagavad Gita is the most sacred 'granth' of Hindus...Bhagavad Gita unites all the Hindus...This is a part of the attempt to unite all the Hindus...Saints from across the nation will participate in this programme..."

The initiative was part of the preparations for the spiritual event, which aims to bring together devotees from across the city to engage in the collective reading of the sacred scripture.

Also Read: How Suspended TMC MLA Laid Foundation Stone for 'Babri-Style' Mosque in Bengal’s Murshidabad

What happened in Bengal's Murshidabad?

A day prior, the foundation stone laying ceremony for a 'Babri-style' mosque in Murshidabad was held at a grand event at NH-12. Humayun Kabir, an MLA from Debra constituency who was suspended by Mamata Banerjee's party on charges of indulging in "communal politics", led the event and asserted that the proposed structure would come up at "any cost".

Religious leaders from Saudi Arabia were present on the dais and biryani was served to over 40,000 people.

The event was scheduled on December 6, the anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992.