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‘Look at your state’: Mamata Banerjee blames BJP for attack on TMC workers in Tripura, says no violence in Bengal
“Look at the happenings in your state (Tripura). Whoever dares to take out rallies opposing the BJP is hit with sticks,” Mamata Banerjee said.
Merely two days after the members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) were assaulted during a rally in Agartala, Tripura, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attacked opposition parties if they organise a rally in Tripura.
The chief minister’s remarks came after the TMC earlier on Friday said that its party members along with Sushmita Dev were assaulted by BJP workers in Tripura while they were campaigning for the local body elections there. The party had described the attack as “barbaric” and also said that the people of the state would give a “befitting response” to the BJP.
Further, the TMC chief also denied the BJP’s claims about violence in her state Bengal and asked the party to look at Tripura ruled by them. “There is peace in West Bengal,” she said. “In contrast, look at the happenings in your state (Tripura). Whoever dares to take out rallies opposing the BJP is hit with sticks,” news agency PTI quoted the CM as saying.
She also claimed that the BJP did not allow the injured TMC members to receive medical care in hospitals following the attack. Also, she said that one of the party workers, who was assaulted, had to be rushed back to a hospital in Kolkata.
“They don't even allow the injured TMC workers to be treated at a hospital. A young party worker was thrashed and he had to be rushed to the SSKM Hospital (in Kolkata),” she said. Banerjee’s remarks came during a rally in Siliguri in Bengal.
The TMC is trying to expand its national footprint by announcing to contest elections in Goa and Tripura among other states. Goa is scheduled to go to polls early next year while in Tripura the elections are slated for 2023.
Earlier on Friday, the party had shared videos of the alleged attack on its delegation in Tripura in which two to three men could be seen thrashing another man. Also, it shared pictures of a damaged campaign vehicle used by Dev and other party workers. Party leader Abhishek Banerjee had also condemned the attack and blamed Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb’s men for the assault, which he described was “beyond shameful” and “political terrorism.”
(With PTI inputs)
