July 21 rally might not be held next year, says Dilip Ghosh

Kolkata: Countering Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee’s attack on the BJP, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh wondered if the Trinamul’s Martyr’s Day rally would be held at all next year. CPI(M) state secretary Surjyakanta Mishra also slammed the chief minister for her comments.

Reacting to Ms Banerjee’s call to oust the BJP from the country, Mr Ghosh said sarcastically, “We will wait eagerly to see what happens finally. Panchayat elections are scheduled next year. Before that, a lot of water will flow through the Ganges. It is not clear who will remain inside, who will stay outside and who will run the government.”

He added, “I have my doubt if this rally will be held next year with all the leaders who were on the dias this time. Many of them may be behind bars. Some of them may have to spend their lives in hospital like Tapas Pal. One year is a long time. Let see what happens in the next few months.”

The state BJP president also bantered Ms Banerjee’s call to oust the BJP from the country. The Kharagpur MLA claimed, “She earlier raised a slogan of ‘Modi Hatao, Desh Bnachao.’ The BJP however won four more states later. We are fully prepared to fight her politics of appeasement and communalism.”

Mr Ghosh announced that state BJP would kickstart a campaign on August 9 against the Trinamul’s “appeasement policy” to counter the ruling party’s “oust the BJP” programme. 

Meanwhile, Dr Mishra questioned why Ms Banerjee felt threatened by the BJP when it was the Trinamul that forced many Opposition MLAs to switch to the ruling party in the state using intimidation in the last couple of years.