The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday hit out at West Bengal’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) government for denying the Opposition the legitimate right to protest a day after its workers clashed with the state police during a march in Kolkata against alleged corruption.
“...what we saw was atrocities and brutality…The government surpassed all limits of brutality, repression, and police torture while denying the legitimate right of the opposition to raise its voice,” said BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad. Prasad said the state wAS earlier known for cultural traditions but has now become “lawless and bankrupt.”
He said the issue is more serious because chief minister Mamata Banerjee speaks about saving democracy when outside the state. “But [she] has crossed all limits to violate the same in the state.” He cited pictures and video footage and said police attacked women leaders and called it all the more shocking, reprehensible, and condemnable as the West Bengal chief minister is also a woman.
The BJP began a campaign against corruption after a spate of allegations about irregularities and the arrest of TMC leaders including minister Partha Chatterjee in an alleged scam case.
The BJP accused the TMC of unleashing violence against political opponents. “…If your state has crossed the limits of corruption and crores are being recovered from the homes of the ministers and there is no relief from the court, and you used to speak of good governance, then why should there be no protest?” Prasad asked.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP accused the TMC of unleashing violence against political opponents. “…If your state has crossed the limits of corruption and crores are being recovered from the homes of the ministers and there is no relief from the court, and you used to speak of good governance, then why should there be no protest?” Prasad asked.
{{/usCountry}}“I want to tell Mamata Banerjee a bitter truth, whichever leader or party supports police terror, jails Opposition, people show their reaction to them. You have seen what happened to Indira Gandhi after the Emergency... You are worse than the Left government in atrocities and police brutality.”
He said the violence against the Opposition could be an attempt to deflect attention from the goings on within the TMC. “This is not your natural reaction. You are a three-time chief minister; a grassroots leader and all your reactions are totally contrary to your own political evolution. Is there attention being diverted from what is happening within the TMC? The more you inflict atrocities on the BJP, the more it will grow.”
There was no immediate response from TMC.