First-time parliamentarian Nusrat Jahan has been roiled in controversies right from her first day in Parliament. After being rebuked for donning “un-Islamic” attire to her oath-taking ceremony and getting married to a Jain, the Trinamool Congress MP has now been criticised for attending Hindu festival of Rath Yatra this time.
Nusrat was a special invitee to the ISKCON event held in Kolkata, along with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Not only did she attend the annual ISKCON fanfare on Thursday but also continued to sport Hindu symbols of marriage such as red bangles, mangalsutra, and vermilion (sindoor).
The MP kept up with her nonchalance towards trolls and said: “I am a firm believer of Islam [and] respect all religions.”
The actor-turned-politician further said it was a common practice in West Bengal to participate in community affairs and festivals, regardless of which caste, creed, or religion one owes allegiance to.
Stating that “Bengal symbolises amity”, the Basirhat MP highlighted how Mamata Banerjee also attends Eid without any political agenda guiding it.
According to a News18 report, she also exhorted people to “keep politics and religion apart”.
Commending Nusrat for accepting the invitation to inaugurate ISKCON’s 48th Rath Yatra ceremony, the spokesperson of the organisation, Radharaman Das, said: “Nusrat Jahan represents a new India...an all-inclusive India. Respect for others' religious beliefs and participation in their festivities will make India great again. This is what India stands for and youngsters like Nusrat Jahan are showing the path forward.”
ISKCON authorities reportedly invited Nusrat Jahan because they appreciate her stance on religion and inclusivity, which are “in sync” with their ethos of “social harmony”.
Notably, this is not the first time the Bengali actress has upheld the virtues of social harmony and oneness of all religions. She actively takes part in Durga Puja—the most important Bengali festival – and also participates in “dhunuchi naach”.
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