Mamata Banerjee has emerged as new Jinnah: BJP on violence over Waqf Act

Reacting to the violence in several districts of West Bengal during a protest against the Waqf Act, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh on Tuesday called Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee “new Jinnah” in the country.

Speaking to reporters in Patna, Chugh said, “Mamata Banerjee has emerged as the new Jinnah in the country… Mamata Banerjee has emerged as an idol of atrocities. TMC workers are spreading disorder in the state, and Mamata Banerjee is protecting them.”

His scathing remarks and accusations came after three people died in communal violence in the state’s Murshidabad district during protests against the newly enacted Waqf Act.

On Monday, the violence also spread to 24 South Parganas district where protesters clashed with police and set fire to vehicles. The protesters had blocked a road and when police went there, the clashes erupted. To disperse the crowd, the police also resorted to lathicharge.

The angry mob then set fire to several police bikes and vandalized a police van. They also pelted stones, leaving several police personnel injured.

The Indian Secular Front had organized a rally against the Waqf Act allegedly without obtaining prior permission from the police. When the police team reached there, they insisted on continuing with the rally, saying it was their democratic right to protest.

The BJP has alleged that Hindus are being targeted in West Bengal, claiming that violence has left hundreds of them displaced. Some BJP leaders have even advocated for Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in West Bengal districts sharing border with Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Banerjee appealed to people to maintain peace. She said that while everyone has the democratic right to stage a peaceful protest, no one should take law into their own hands.

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an SIT probe into the violence in Murshidabad.

Advertisement