Mamata made the remarks while launching her campaign for the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections from politically crucial North Bengal, a region that has emerged as a BJP stronghold since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that a Lord Ram statue being sculpted for Ram Navami celebrations was vandalised in Nandigram's Bheturia area, accusing "jihadis" of severing the idol's head and blaming Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's "appeasement politics" for enabling such incidents