Kolkata: BJP president JP Nadda Wednesday said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s silence on the post poll violence in the state speaks of her involvement and claimed that at least 14 BJP workers have been killed and up to a lakh people have fled their homes in post-poll violence in the state. He condemned the “brutal killings” which have taken place after the results and alleged that BJP workers were killed and women molested and raped in different parts of the state by Trinamool Congress workers.
“Mamata Banerjee’s silence speaks about her involvement and she starts her third term with blood on her hands,” Nadda said addressing a press conference here. “The TMC workers have targeted the BJP grass-root level workers … This is a state-sponsored programme … We will fight democratically tooth and nail,” he said and asserted that BJP will root out intolerance from the state.
The BJP president visited the residences of some party workers who have allegedly faced atrocities at the hands of goons owing allegiance to the ruling Trinamool Congress during a two-day visit to the state from Tuesday. He claimed that besides the BJP workers, their families have been attacked and women have been specifically targeted, apart from loot of property. Alleging atrocities on BJP workers at Gosaba and East Canning in South 24 Parganas district and at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas and destruction of whole villages, he said the villagers there had faced “Amphan last year and Mamtaphan this year”.
Nadda claimed that 80,000 to one lakh people were forced to leave their homes in different parts of the state owing to atrocities following TMC’s win in the poll. People of north Bengal districts have even fled to neighbouring Assam to save their lives.
These people have been provided shelter and other requirements in Assam, he said adding “Mamata Banerjee has won the elections, but humanity has lost”.
Nadda said the incidents of post poll violence in Bengal reminded him of the “horrendous” violence and killings on “direct action day” during partition on August 16, 1947.
“What happened in Bengal on May 2 (the day votes were counted) is similar to the direct action day,” and reflected TMC supremo’s call “Khela hobe” (game is on) in Nandigram before the polls, he said.
Asked whether BJP is contemplating to seek imposition of Article 356 in West Bengal, the BJP president said that the procedure is that a report is generated by the governor which is analysed by the central agencies and by the ministry of home affairs before a decision is taken.
Under Article 356, if a state government is unable to function according to Constitutional provisions, the Centre can take direct control of the state machinery.
“As far as BJP is concerned, even if it is a fit case we are people who fight democratically,” Nadda said.
BJP has won over 37 per cent votes and 77 seats in West Bengal in the assembly poll, Nadda said and asserted that the saffron party will take the fight to its conclusive end democratically.
BJP state president Dilip Ghosh during the day administered the oath of serving the people of the state to the party MLAs, he said.
The saffron party president hit out at human rights organisations for keeping mum on what is happening in Bengal post elections and wondered whether they fight for human rights selectively.
“I am also shocked by the opposition parties that they have not come out with a single statement in condemnation,” he said adding that it speaks of “double standards”.
Nadda that the BJP government at the Centre will fulfil its commitments to the people of Bengal on Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi and Ayushman Bharat schemes and urged Banerjee to cooperate with it.
He said that politics of appeasement will be stopped in Bengal and added that the language used by Mamata Banerjee or her culture does not represent Bengal.
On the chief minister’s assertion that photos and videos doing the rounds in the social media about violence in the state are fake, Nadda challenged that the challenged be proved fake.
Nadda accused Banerjee of doing divisive politics and said that within hours of taking oath she was differentiating between BJP, CPI(M) and TMC for the post poll violence in the state.
Soon after her swearing-in Banerjee had said that violence and clashes were taking place in areas where the BJP won the elections.
“The level of thinking is really very worrisome,” he said adding that as chief minister she has to take the responsibility of the whole state.
He asserted that the BJP leadership is with its workers and supporters and will stand by them and that a helpline will soon be operationalised for them by the party.
Asked about choosing the party’s candidate as leader of opposition in West Bengal and the chief minister of Assam, Nadda said that the BJP will do everything in time.
“There is a system. A meeting of the parliamentary board is first held following which an observer is chosen, who then goes to the state and declares the name,” he said.
Nadda said that on May 3, a day after the assembly election results were declared, his priority as party president was to come to Bengal owing to the situation and the parliamentary board meetingh as been kept in abeyance.
“When I go back steps will be initiated and very soon you will have a democratic chief minister (in Assam) and democratic leader of the opposition in West Bengal,” he said.
