Kolkata: Newly-elected Trinamool Congress MP Nusrat Jahan has made headlines ever since her Parliament debut. Sporting a lime green saree, red bangles, a "mangalsutra" and vermilion (sindoor), Jahan repeated her "un-Islamic" look as she attended the annual ISKCON Rath Yatra in Kolkata as a special invitee along with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee at Minto Park.
Jahan was heavily trolled recently for wearing vermilion and sporting a "mangalsutra" at her oath-taking ceremony in Parliament. "In West Bengal, we participate in festivals irrespective of caste, creed or religion. Bengal symbolises amity," the MP from Basirhat said. "Mamata Banerjee comes for Eid and stands with all. There is no politics in this, it is about faith and belief. Let's keep politics and religion apart," Jahan said during an interaction with reporters.
She also reacted to the backlash she's facing from the Muslim clerics over her look by saying, "I don't pay heed to baseless (things). I am Muslim in my heart." The Basirhat MP also conveyed her gratitude to ISKCON for inviting her to the Rath Yatra celebrations and extended her best wishes to all.
"We should all move ahead together and learn to live together... Jai Jagannath," she told the gathering. ISKCON applauded Jahan's participation in the ceremony. ISKCON spokesperson Radharaman Das had thanked Jahan for accepting the invitation as a special guest for the inauguration of their 48th Rath Yatra ceremony.
"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," he had said.
Das called the ISKCON Kolkata Rath Yatra "an example of social harmony in which the Lord's chariots were also built by our Muslim brothers". Jahan took part in the Rath Yatra rituals along with Tollywood actor Soham and her entrepreneur husband Nikhil Jain.
