Kolkata: “We want to show the world how West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is running the State,” asserted BJP MP Ravishankar Prasad, leading the party’s four-member fact-finding team, on Thursday.
Prasad along with other members of the team and State BJP President Sukanta Majumdar after calling on Governor C V Ananda Bose said they have apprised the latter of the “terror” prevailing in the State.
Stating that they don’t need any certificate from Banerjee, Prasad said, “The Opposition workers have been facing torture by the ruling TMC right from word go, the day Panchayat election date was announced.”
Alleging that even after the declaration of result, people are scared of returning home, Prasad asked why Mamata Banerjee police isn’t taking any action.
Prasad said, “At last better sense has prevailed that Banerjee has regretted violence.”
The team is now heading towards South 24 Parganas to take stock of the situation there and on Friday they will proceed to North Bengal.
On Wednesday, Prasad lambasted Banerjee, accusing her of “shaming” democracy in the state.
Describing as “unfortunate” so many loss of lives in Panchayat election-related violence, Prasad slammed Banerjee, saying “Your politics has become uglier than that of Left regime”.
Prasad said the poll violence was bad for democracy too.
Stating what happened in Bengal was a “sickening sign of shameful democracy”, Prasad asked Banerjee “Why are you not ready to face the media after the poll result and share your happiness? ”
Prasad also expressed his surprise at the “conspicuous silence” of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.
“Mamata Ji is an important player in the opposition unity campaign against Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating on record, that the BJP’s conduct is undemocratic & fascist. Today, when cold-blooded murder & bomb-blasts are ripping apart the democratic fabric of India in the Gram Panchayat elections in Bengal, with voters not being allowed to cast their votes, why have the eminent votaries of Opposition Unity namely Rahul Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury & other prominent leaders of CPI (M) suddenly gone silent,” he commented.
“This is nothing but plain hypocrisy and sheer double standards to fool the people of our country in the name of democratic credentials! It’s time that people take notice of their undemocratic credentials and lack of political credibility,” Prasad averred.
Taking a jibe at the four-member BJP fact-finding team, Banerjee on Wednesday described these central teams as nothing but the ‘BJP Protection And Provocation Committee’.
Banerjee said, ” BJP has shunned all political decency. If I am wrong, I welcome all punishment against me. However, there have been a spate of lies and malicious campaigns levelled against Trinamool. ”
” Since the day that BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014, the tone and tenor of
the central government changed towards Opposition-ruled states. The politics of decency seems missing from this incumbent central government. Their sole agenda is to keep creating hindrances in the smooth functioning of the State government. BJP has never engaged in constructive development work in our country, ” she alleged.
The Trinamool Congress also came down heavily on the Opposition BJP and said after failing to win the hearts of people in the state, the saffron outfit was resorting to revenge.
It also accused state Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of “inciting violence”
“The fire of violence, ignited by the Opposition parties, that our candidates and party workers have been smoldering in, has continued till the tail end of the panchayat elections, ” the TMC alleged.
“Initially, the BJP resorted to violence in their pursuit of victory but now that we have swept the Panchayat elections and taken an unassailable lead, their actions appear driven by sheer vengeance and retribution,” the Trinamool further complained.
