Two days before West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s visit to Goa, Trinamool Congress’ posters and hoardings with the CM’s face on them have been vandalised with black paint smeared on her image. TMC’s Goa unit has claimed that this is a planned attack by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“Goa TMC condemns this act of vandalism that amounts to insulting a woman who is the only sitting woman Chief Minister in the country. Goans will definitely give a befitting response to such a vengeful government. The latest pictures are evidence of how the BJP has not just vandalised Goa TMC branding but has done so at the cost of Goans,” a statement issued by the Goa TMC said.
The TMC further claimed that apart from destroying the hoardings, the effort of local businesses is also ruined, and added that “the BJP is not just spreading hate but is attacking the livelihood of hundreds of fellow Goans by destroying their businesses.”
On Tuesday, the TMC also alleged that these acts of vandalism were premeditated, claiming that BJP held a closed-door meeting where it was decided that hoardings will be destroyed “overnight”.
National Vice President of TMC, Luizinho Faleiro also expressed his disappointment through a video message. “Today I saw the ruling party members tearing the legal hoardings of the TMC, just because they are threatened by the entry of TMC in Goa,” he said and deemed the incident as “disturbing”.
{{/usCountry}}National Vice President of TMC, Luizinho Faleiro also expressed his disappointment through a video message. “Today I saw the ruling party members tearing the legal hoardings of the TMC, just because they are threatened by the entry of TMC in Goa,” he said and deemed the incident as “disturbing”.
{{/usCountry}}However, BJP national spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy denied TMC’s claims and called them baseless. “Simply because there is a BJP government in Goa, the TMC is blaming us for this act. Making allegations of this sort is incorrect when there is no substantial proof,” he told Hindustan Times.
Mamata Banerjee will travel to Goa on October 28 with the aim of spreading TMC’s roots in the coastal state given the upcoming Assembly elections in February 2022.