Kolkata, May 31: West Bengal minister Agnimitra Paul on Sunday said her party, the BJP, does not support the attack on Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, but described the incident as a reflection of public anger.
Speaking to reporters, Paul drew parallels with past attacks on BJP leaders, including the party’s former national president JP Nadda and then leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari, which she claimed were dismissed by the TMC as expressions of public outrage.
“We never support the kind of incident that happened with Abhishek Banerjee,” said the urban development minister.
“However, when similar attacks took place on BJP leaders during the TMC regime, they were described as manifestations of public anger. What happened yesterday was also a manifestation of public wrath,” she added.
Paul alleged that people of the state were reacting to “years of oppression” under the TMC government, accusing the party of using the police and its members to target opponents when it was in power.
Stones, eggs and abuses were hurled at the Diamond Harbour MP when he visited Sonarpur town on the outskirts of Kolkata on Saturday to meet the family of a TMC worker who was allegedly killed in post-poll violence.
He escaped the mob wearing a cricket helmet, with the help of some aides and journalists, before being escorted out of the area by a large police contingent.
Adding to condemnation over the attack by parties opposed to the BJP, the Congress Party’s Ashok Gehlot on Sunday alleged a breakdown of law and order in West Bengal.
“Whatever you are saying about Banerjee is coming to light because he is a prominent leader. But ever since the elections, there has been widespread ‘gundagardi’ in West Bengal,” he said.
He alleged that offices of TMC workers were being attacked and forcibly vacated, and claimed that people associated with the BJP and RSS were involved in such incidents.
Gehlot also criticised the Election Commission, alleging that an unusually large deployment of forces during the polls had influenced the electoral process.
“About 2.5 lakh personnel were deployed in a single state. This is unprecedented. The Election Commission forced this situation,” he said.
The Congress leader further claimed that nearly 2.7 million voters were allegedly deprived of their voting rights and said the elections should have been postponed.
“You cannot deprive even a single voter of their right. If needed, elections should have been postponed for a few months,” he said.
Targeting the BJP’s ‘double engine government’ pitch, Gehlot alleged that it was being misused. “What they call double engine is resulting in double pressure and misuse of power,” he said.
He also urged the youth to understand the current political situation and participate in politics guided by ideology.
“The younger generation must reflect on the direction in which the country is moving and come forward to uphold constitutional values,” he added. (PTI)
