Mamata bans BJP’s victory marches in Bengal

Kolkata: Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of inciting violence in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that no victory march of the saffron party would be allowed in the state henceforth and asked the police to take strong action against the violators.

“I have information that the BJP has created disturbances in Hooghly, Bankura, Purulia and Midnapore districts in the name of victory marches. There won’t be any more victory march from now onwards,” Banerjee said during her visit to a slain Trinamool leader’s house in Nimta in North 24 Parganas district.

Banerjee added that there should not be any more victory march in the state as more than 10 ten days have passed since the announcement of the Lok Sabha election results.

“If any leader tries to create riot-like situation in the state, I have asked the police to act lawfully and take strong action to prevent the situation from deteriorating,” she said.

Banerjee on Thursday visited Nimta along with the officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and other agencies probing the murder of Trinamool leader Nirmal Kundu, who was shot dead by four to five unidentified bike-borne assailants on Tuesday.

The Chief Minister assured Kundu’s family members that the case would be probed thoroughly and justice will be delivered.

“It is not just about the murder…We have to find out the conspirator. Why would a party resort to bloodshed and violence,” she asked.

Banerjee mentioned that there was no violence or murder in 2014 when the Trinamool and the Congress jointly won many Lok Sabha seats in the state.

“But after the BJP gained seats in Bengal, there has been no end to violence”, she said.

Of the 42 Lok Sabh seats in West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress won 22, while the BJP bagged 18 seats, 16 more than what it had won in 2014.

“After winning few sub-divisional zones, they (BJP) are lighting up pyres of terror. Bengal is a land of peace and it will not tolerate violence,” she said.

The Chief Minister also mentioned how social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s bust was vandalised during BJP President Amit Shah’s roadshow in Kolkata ahead of the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha elections.

She also condemned Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy’s recent comments that the greatness of Bengalis was long gone and that Bengalis were either “sweeping floors” or working as “bar dancers” in Mumbai.

“I will ask the BJP leaders to control their tongues. It is better that they concentrate on their work, as we have formed a fact-finding committee to check the monetary transactions during elections,” Banerjee said.

Published on: June 6, 2019 at 21:30 IST

IANS