Kolkata: A day after meeting BJP president Amit Shah during his visit to Purulia, a tribal family of four joined the Trinamul Congress in a rude shock to the BJP which cried foul play alleging that the ruling party forced the family to defect after hijacking them under threat from the Jangalmahal district to the city.
The four — Fuchu Rajwar, his mother Shishubala Rajwar, Gobinda Rajwar and Astami Rajwar — were handed over the Trinamul flags by Saradha chit fund scam accused Trinamul leader and former minister Madan Mitra and party’s Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen in the afternoon at a Trinamul office in Kalighat.
The dramatic turn of events only resembled the defection of a tribal couple from Naxalbari in North Bengal who switched to the Trinamul days after hosting Mr Shah for lunch in May last year. On Thursday afternoon Mr Shah visited the Rajwars’ home among few others at Lagda village and wanted to know about their livelihood.
The Rajwar family members reportedly narrated their plight to him. After Mr Shah left the state, the district Trinamul leaders got in touch with them keeping their seniors in Kolkata in loop. They offered them different kinds of facilities before bringing them to Kalighat at night, sources revealed.
The district BJP leaders smelt a rat after the family was found missing at home. On Friday afternoon the family was presented before the media. Accusing Mr Shah of intimidating the family to join the BJP Mr Mitra alleged, “On Thursday Mr Shah in a convoy of security personnel suddenly turned up at their home.”
Mr Mitra argued, “Being villagers they got panicked to see such a man of dangerous figure with so many security personnel. To their horror he ordered them to join the BJP. Since none of them was in politics before, it was not clear for them what to do. They have not only been forced but were also threatened by the BJP supremo to join the party.”
The former Trinamul MLA claimed, “The family felt so threatened that they fled the village and came to Kalighat to seek shelter of chief minister Mamata Banerjee. We are not forcing them to join our party. It is upto them. If they join, we will welcome them certainly.”
Comparing Mr Shah with a ‘dacoit of Chambal’ Dr Sen said, “Being a doctor I can feel how much traumatised these villagers are since they came under Mr Shah’s pressure. They only know the person who ushered in development in the Janglamahal is Mamata Banerjee. They also saw our MP Abhishek Banerjee who visited Purulia many times.”
Fuchu, a daily labourer, said, “We are not associated with any party. We came here on our own travelling in train at night.” Asked about his conversation with Mr Shah, he however quipped, “None told us anything. None threatened us.” Embarrassed by his revealed the Trinamul leaders were seen prompting him from both sides.
Fuchu soon claimed, “We were threatened by the BJP. We only know Mamata Banerjee for shelter.” Mr Mitra then asked them if they would want to join the Trinamul for ‘shelter.’ They agreed instantly. Slamming the Trinamul over the family’s switch-over state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said, “Mr Shah only spoke to the family.”
He added, “He did not ask them to join our party. But the Trinamul felt so threatened that they kidnapped for them to join their party.” Bantering Mr Mitra BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha pointed out, “It was clear how one prompted the villager. Practice is needed to make a drama. Since he was in jail for a long time, he did not get time for practice.”
Mr Mitra however refuted his charges. “If they knew the family would be abducted, why did not they try to stop it? Do they have any power or intelligence? They often talk about military so much.” On the tradition of defection after Mr Shah’s visit he added, “If people join the Trinamul after every visit by him, let him not come.”
