Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday justified her absence from the Bhagavad Gita recitation event organised by Sanatan Sanskriti Sansad here, stating she skipped it because it was a BJP-linked programme.

The event, which took place on Sunday, had a footfall of several lakhs and was seen as a show of Hindu identity ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

\"If it were an impartial programme, I would have definitely gone there. I am involved with a party and follow an ideology. I respect all religions, caste and creed,\" Banerjee told reporters at Kolkata airport before leaving for an official trip to north Bengal.

\"How can I attend a programme where the BJP is directly involved? I do not attend events organised by people who hate Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and do

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