The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday sharpened its attack on the ruling Trinamul Congress following a recent statement by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, as the party’s ongoing Parivartan Yatra moved out of Siliguri to other parts of north Bengal.
Although BJP leaders had earlier raised several issues during the campaign — including the alleged breach of protocol during the visit of President Droupadi Murmu to Siliguri on 7 March — the focus of the political exchange on Tuesday centred on remarks made by the Chief Minister in Kolkata.
Addressing reporters here, Siliguri BJP MLA Sankar Ghosh challenged the Chief Minister to clarify whom she was referring to while mentioning a “community” in her speech.
During a programme in Kolkata on Monday, Miss Banerjee had said: “You are all doing well today because we are in power. If someday we are no longer in power, the situation could change in a matter of seconds. If the ‘community’ unites and surrounds you, they can finish you off in no time. So, if you do not want to bring trouble upon yourselves, do not be misled by the BJP’s propaganda.”
Reacting to the remarks, Dr Ghosh alleged that the statement was an attempt to provoke communal tension. “The chief minister should clearly name the community she was referring to. Such statements can create unrest. We will strongly counter this narrative during the Parivartan Yatra across the state,” he said.
Meanwhile, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista referred to a statement made by JP Nadda in Parliament and circulated a recorded clip of it among the media. According to Mr Bista, Mr Nadda had said that West Bengal cannot remain an exception to the rule of law. “When a chief minister disregards the judiciary, threatens the Election Commission of India and insults the President, it amounts to a collapse of constitutional values,” Mr Bista quoted him as saying.
Amid the political exchanges, the International Santal Council (ISC) also addressed a press conference at the Siliguri Journalists’ Club on Tuesday, announcing that it had passed a resolution condemning the alleged insult to the President during her recent visit.
The ISC working president, Naresh Kumar Murmu, said the resolution was adopted during a council session held on 8 March. “We have condemned the alleged insult to the President of India. Despite several reminders, the administration did not extend adequate cooperation,” he said.
Mr Murmu further claimed that the council had earlier planned to hold a similar programme last year at Bidhannagar after obtaining approval from the administration. However, the event had to be postponed following communal tension in Murshidabad over the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill. “This year, the administration eventually permitted us to organise the programme at a different venue near Bagdogra,” he added.
Expressing concern over the developments, Mr Murmu said the tribal community felt deeply hurt by the incident. “If the community reacts collectively, it could trigger a major political upheaval in Bengal,” he warned.