Kolkata, Jun 18 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Centre's decision to observe June 25 as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' (Constitution Murder Day), calling it a "mockery of democracy and the Constitution".

Banerjee announced that her government would not observe the day, asserting that the BJP has itself undermined democratic institutions while now claiming to uphold constitutional values.

The Union government had last year declared that June 25 would be observed annually as Constitution Murder Day to protest the imposition of Emergency on that day in 1975, a phase widely seen as a dark chapter in Indian democracy.

"We will not observe June 25 as Constitution Murder Day. This is nothing but hypocrisy. Those who do not respect the Constitution are now preaching about its morality. It is a mockery," she told reporters at the state secretariat.

Referring to the Centre's decision, Banerjee said, "Given the way the BJP is trying to change and weaken the Constitution every day, we could observe 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' daily." Taking a sharp dig at the ruling party at the Centre, Banerjee questioned its track record on democracy.

She asked, "Was the toppling of elected governments in Maharashtra and Bihar not an attack on the Constitution?" Accusing the BJP of compromising key democratic institutions, she said, "They have ensured that the pillars of democracy - be it the Election Commission or the media - are no longer independent." "We don't need lectures on democracy from those who are bulldozing the federal structure and democratic ethos every single day," Banerjee asserted.

She also criticised the Centre's economic policies, especially the 2016 demonetisation drive, saying, "The manner in which the economy was destroyed in the name of demonetisation, November 8 should also be observed as the day when the economy was destroyed." The TMC supremo said, "Democracy was murdered during demonetisation itself. People stood in queues for days, and many died. Why isn't that day marked as Black Money Day?" On the issue of aviation safety, Banerjee cited the recent Ahmedabad plane crash and expressed concerns over the alleged lack of a proper probe.

She said, "So many people are dying in crashes. One could be an accident, but if there's a pattern, it must be investigated. The Ahmedabad crash is being looked into by bureaucrats. There's not even a single FIR. In our time, railway accidents were probed by a dedicated safety committee. Why isn't there such a committee for aviation?" Banerjee also targeted the Union Home Minister, saying, "Who is actually the Prime Minister of India - Narendra Modi or Amit Shah? It's not Narendra Modi who's running the country; it's Amit Shah. Modi keeps travelling, and everything has been handed over to Shah. Just declare him the Prime Minister officially. He's already running the government by proxy." Referring to the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in which 26 people were killed, she said, "After the Pahalgam incident, we demanded a special session of Parliament and raised five questions. Not one has been answered. Why has there never been a day observed to condemn terrorism?" Banerjee also questioned the timing of the observance of 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas', stating, "The Emergency ended in 1977, and 2024 marked its 50th year. Why observe it in 2025? What's the motive?" Charging the Centre with selling national assets, she said, "Railways, airlines - everything has been sold. The people will give a fitting reply. Stop interfering in our federal rights. The state government is elected. The Governor is nominated. Would the Centre accept if the President bypassed Amit Shah and started taking all decisions?" She also raised objections to a letter from the Uttar Pradesh Special Secretary to West Bengal's Department of Culture, regarding the observation of June 20 as 'Paschimbanga Diwas' to be observed across Raj Bhavans in the country.

On that day in 1947, the Bengal Legislative Assembly met and voted in favour of partition.

"Who chose this date? India became independent on August 15. How can the Centre dictate Bengal's foundation day? This is an insult to Bengal. Bangla Diwas will be celebrated on 1st Baisakh, the Bengali New Year day, as decided by our Assembly," Banerjee said.

The West Bengal Assembly passed a resolution in September 2023 declaring Poila (first day of) Baisakh as the official state foundation day, despite opposition from the Governor.

She added, "Those who have always deprived Bengal now want to celebrate Bangla Diwas? The Centre didn't pay wages for the 100-day work scheme. We had to pay from the state exchequer. That's why we launched the 'Karmashree' scheme with state funds." Banerjee also attacked the national media, accusing them of not being neutral.

"Is there any media left that is truly neutral? The media is being told what to say and what to suppress. If the BJP does something, it's fine; if others do the same, they are shut down," she alleged.

Banerjee said, "Everyone knows what happened during the Emergency. People rejected it. You can observe Emergency Day'. But why call it 'Democracy Murder Day'? Is democracy alive today? Every day it's being strangled. A fake religious agenda is being pushed. Parliament has been rebuilt. Then by that logic, every day should be marked as Democracy Murder Day. Play your politics, but stop distorting facts and spreading lies." PTI PNT NN