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Mamata government denies rally nod of Jharkhand ex-CM Munda in Bankura
Munda returned midway from the Jharkhand-West Bengal border near Bandwan in West Bengal’s Purulia district, after he was told that the West Bengal administration had not given permission for his meeting in Bishnupur.
The West Bengal government allegedly denied permission to senior BJP leader and former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda for holding a party workers’ booth level programme at Bishnupur in Bankura district on Wednesday.
Munda returned midway from the Jharkhand-West Bengal border near Bandwan in West Bengal’s Purulia district, after he was told that the West Bengal administration had not given permission for his meeting in Bishnupur.
“The way the West Bengal government is working is a serious threat to democracy. They are not allowing other political parties to hold rallies or party workers’ meetings. This is nothing but the murder of democracy in West Bengal. What is even more dangerous is that many opposition parties are quietly witnessing this murder of democratic rights,” Munda told the media near Dimna Lake, while on his way back from Bandwan.
Munda claimed that permission for his meeting in Bishnupur was denied citing tension and possible law and order problems. “But the ruling Trinamool Congress is holding a rally by CM Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee in Bishnupur. This exposes the duplicity of the West Bengal administration and the TMC. It seems that the West Bengal government has been unnerved by the rising popularity of the BJP,” said Munda.
The former Jharkhand CM was going to Bishnupur via the Kating-Bandwan route on Wednesday. Sources said that permission for Munda’s programme was denied in view of Abhishek Banerjee’s rally in Onda, falling midway between Bankura town and Bishnupur town. “I returned from Bandwan after getting information that permission was not given for my meeting,” said Munda.
The ex-CM alleged that the TMC government was resorting to undemocratic methods against BJP, as a substantial number of BJP workers won the panchayat and urban polls in border areas of West Bengal, adjacent to Jharkhand, which are mostly tribal dominated. They were being threatened, killed and forced to join TMC, Munda alleged.
“People in West Bengal are fed up of the spate of violence unleashed by the ruling party and will give a befitting reply to the TMC government in the coming Lok Sabha elections,” asserted Munda.
Akash Maghari, Purulia superintendent of police, however, said no one restricted Munda from entering West Bengal and he returned on his own. “Our pilot escort party was at the Bandwan border. Munda’s personal secretary called us and informed that they were returning on their own,” said Magharia.
Munda, meanwhile, said that he would inform the BJP central leadership about the developments. “Mamata Banerjee is murdering democracy by exploiting the democratic institutions and using violence. I had a similar meeting at Mayurbhanj in Odisha a couple of days ago and will next go to Keonjhar. There is no such problem in any other state. I will also give a report to the central government,” said Munda.
On February 3, the West Bengal government denied landing permission for Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s helicopter, citing no prior information about the UP CM’s arrival on behalf of the UP government. The UP CM was scheduled to headline rallies in Raiganj, Balurghat and Bankura. On Tuesday, Adityanath landed in Bokaro, before heading to Purulia by road to address a rally.
