BJP attacks Mamata Banerjee with ‘communal violence’ barb

New Delhi: Accusing TMC supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee of practising “appeasement politics” and using her party’s minority wing to unleash communal violence against Hindus, the BJP on Tuesday said the state has been witnessing “sampradaayikta ka taandav” for the past six days.

Taking on Ms Banerjee for her strong opposition against the Central government’s demonetisation move, the BJP said she has “all the time to protest against demonetisation” but is silent on the communal violence in her state.

The BJP also asserted that communal violence incidents have been unleashed by the ruling party in areas where its popularity graph is on an increase. BJP president Amit will be sending a delegation of its parliamentarians to “effected areas” and has also asked the state unit to move the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

“Hindus are being targeted by the minority wing... For over six days this dance of communalism is happening in Dhulagarh in Howrah district. You (Mamata) have not said anything. She must break her silence,” said BJP’s national secretary and co-incharge of the state Siddharth Nath Singh. He said 100 such communal incidents have happened since TMC came back to power this year.

Referring to a fatwa issued by Shahi Imam of Kolkata’s Tipu Sultan Masjid Syed Mohammad Nurur Rahman Barkati, in which a call to stone till death state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh to death was allegedly given, Mr Singh said TMC’s minority wing head and MP Idris Ali was with the Imam, when the fatwa was issued. The BJP leader claimed the Imam moves around in the state in an unauthorised beacon car.

“This is a glowing example of her minority appeasement politics,” said Mr Singh adding that while Ms Banerjee addressed meetings in Delhi, Patna and Lucknow against note ban, she has kept quiet at the violence happening in her state.

Suggesting that the Jan Dhan accounts in the state were misused to deposit black money, the BJP leader said on one hand the chief minister claims that farmers in her state are in pain due to demonetisation while on the other hand about `10,000 crore were put in the Jan Dhan accounts in West Bengal, which doesnot match.

“The reality is that all the black money TMC made has been rendered waste by demonetisation,” Mr Singh alleged.

Referring to the “award wapsi” incidents by intellectuals over “growing intolerance,” Mr Singh said they should not keep silence now and speak up.