Abhishek slams BJP at launch of Tapashilir Sanglap

Coming down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) for systematic attack and abuse on the SC and ST people, Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee urged people to raise their voices to safeguard the former’s rights against the casteist onslaught of the saffron party.

He was addressing a gathering after launching ‘Tapashilir Sanglap’ at Nazrul Mancha. He garlanded the images of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Bhagwan Birsa Munda. 2 March, 1930, Babasaheb Ambedkar stood outside the gates of the Kalaram temple in Nasik, leading thousands of people fighting for their dignity. Today’s programme was held to mark the occasion.

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He said for the next two months, party leaders will visit the SC and ST dominated areas and take part in conversations with them.

Criticising the Union Home minister Amit Shah he said: “As the elections are heading for closure, he will come to your house, shed crocodile tears and disappear after the elections. The BJP has only hatred for the Adivasis and Dalits,” he said.

Quoting the National Crime Record Bureau report published in 2025, Mr Banerjee said in Uttar Pradesh, 15,170 SC people had been attacked and abused followed by Rajasthan with 8.449 cases and 8,232 cases in Madhya Pradesh in 2023.

He said during the corresponding period, 3,299 ST people were attacked in Manipur. This was followed by 2,858 ST people in Madhya Pradesh and 2,453 ST people in Rajasthan. “This is the real picture of the double engine government. We have seen how Dalit people were attacked and abused in the states where the double engine governments are in power.”

He added that in terms of atrocities against STs, Manipur tops the list. Almost 3,400 cases have been registered in Manipur. MP stands second on the list with 2,858 cases. Third place belongs to Rajasthan with 2,453 cases. All these states again have double-engine governments.

Criticising the Ratha Yatra of the BJP he said: “We have heard about the Ratha Yatra of Jagannath Mahaprabhu in July-August. We have read about the Ratha of Arjun and Krishna in the Mahabharata and the Rath of the gods and goddess. For the first time we are hearing about the rath of the corrupt people which is being carried out in February-March. The people’s representatives are supposed to stay on the road with the people, but under the BJP you will find them on the rath,” he said, adding, “Ask them to get prepared for the Ulta Rath, as after the Assembly election they will be sent back to Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.”

“Today in the morning, I got a message. Ninety-six years ago, an interesting event happened in Maharashtra’s Nasik relating to B.R. Ambedkar. There was a temple by the name of Kalaram. The idol was made of black stone. The British police and members of extremist Hindu organisations did not allow people of the SC community to enter that temple. On this day, 96 years ago, BR Ambedkar orchestrated a protest outside that temple with around 20,000 people. It is a coincidence that this programme is happening on the same date,” said Abhishek.

He added: “This fight is to make Mamata Banerjee the CM for the fourth time with more than 250 seats. I am grateful to the people of Jhargram and Bankura. We lost the Purulia seat by a slim margin. We have won in Arambag. Our results were not good in North Bengal. We will reach out to the people there. BJP got 18 seats in 2019. Their count dropped by six in 2024. We need to ensure that they are reduced to zero in the coming days. There is no difference between 18 poisonous snakes and 12 poisonous snakes. They are anti-Bengal.”