West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said she was "saddened" at the level of intolerance in the country and encouraged people to "act for unity"."Saddened that there is so much intolerance today. Why so much divide and rule? Let us speak for unity, stand for unity. Let us act for unity," Banerjee tweeted.The Trinamool Congress supremo paid tribute to former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary and remembered Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary."Remembering the Iron Man of India, Sardar Patel ji on his birth anniversary. May his vision of united India be fulfilled," she said.
Banerjee had strongly condemned the police raid at Kerala House in Delhi, and said in a tweet that it was "an unwise and unhealthy attempt to curb fundamental rights of people".Political parties in Bengal had also slammed the Narendra Modi government for interfering with the people's fundamental rights.On Friday a section of intellectuals and NGOs hit the streets against the rising intolerance in the country, by organising an open beef party.Poets, theatre artists, political leaders took part in the protest programme where speakers railed against recent events like the lynching of a Muslim man in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh over rumours that he had consumed beef, the murder of Kannada rationalist scholar M.M. Kalburgi and the police "raid" on Delhi's Kerala House.The protest saw many of the participants consuming beef and putting the meat into each other's mouth. However, vegetables and sweets were available for those unwilling to eat beef.