West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday, 22 November, said she will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, 24 November, to discuss the issues of Border Security Force (BSF) jurisdiction extension and the attacks on Trinamool Congress (TMC) party workers in Tripura, Times of India reported.
“I am going to Delhi as part of a pre-scheduled programme as I have a meeting with the Prime Minister day after tomorrow to discuss some issues about our state, especially regarding BSF. I won’t allow forcible area domination. In the name of cooperative federalism, they want to bulldoze the federal structure. This is my priority and I will raise issues of other atrocities like in Tripura too,” she told reporters outside Kolkata airport before leaving for Delhi on Monday afternoon, as per the daily.
'No Democracy in Tripura'
Banerjee also said the situation in Tripura under the Biplab Deb-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government was "atrocious," reported PTI.
"There is no democracy in Tripura. Several murders have happened. Goons with weapons are getting inside police stations. I don't even remember how many people had to be brought to Kolkata and admitted to SSKM Hospital, having sustained injuries in Tripura," she said.
"They [BJP govt in Tripura] are not even providing basic treatment to the injured. Where have the Human Rights Commission and Left-Wing rights organisations gone?" she questioned.
Banerjee also said that the Tripura chief minister was defying the Supreme Court's directive to ensure free and fair (local) elections. "Despite the Supreme Court's verdict, parties are being stopped from holding meetings and rallies. In Tripura, mockery was being made of the election process. If the government does not allow a political party to hold a meeting, then what will be the fate of the elections, I do not know," she said.
'BSF Is Not My Enemy'
Talking about the BSF jurisdiction issue, she said, “BSF is not my enemy. They are also my friends. The way BJP thinks that BSF is equivalent to BJP and that BSF means ‘BJP safe’ is not right. Every organisation has its own identity. Law and order is a state subject. So, while state police are a cadre, other agencies like CRPF and BSF are also cadres. Everyone has their own identity. But BJP is not allowing them to work on their own and forcing the agencies to work for the party.”
Banerjee's Allegations Baseless: BJP National Vice-President Dilip Ghosh
Meanwhile, BJP National Vice-President Dilip Ghosh termed Mamata Banerjee's allegations as baseless, PTI reported.
"TMC leaders should be the last persons to talk about showing courtesy and violence. BJP workers are either rendered homeless or are murdered in Bengal every day," he said.
"They are sitting on dharna in Delhi just to seek media coverage. What are they doing in Tripura too is a badly scripted drama," Ghosh said.
Banerjee’s visit came a day after the Tripura Police arrested actor and TMC Youth President Saayoni Ghosh on charges of promoting enmity between people, attempt to murder, criminal intimidation, and criminal conspiracy. Ghosh was later released on bail.
On Saturday, Ghosh had allegedly disturbed a municipal poll rally of BJP leader and state Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb at Ashram Chowmuhani area.
On Sunday, 21 November, Ghosh had been arrested by Tripura Police on charges of promoting enmity between people, attempt to murder, criminal intimidation, and criminal conspiracy.
A First Information Report (FIR) was also registered against Ghosh, who was in the state to campaign for the upcoming state elections.
Ghosh had responded to the FIR saying, "I have been charged with attempt to murder for saying khela hobe."
In a video of the incident that had surfaced online, Ghosh could be seen saying "khela hobe" from a car as it crosses a gathering that was reportedly being addressed by Biplab Deb.
Ghosh had reached the police station for questioning on Sunday, after which she was detained. While she was detained, the police station was attacked twice by masked men, injuring several TMC workers.
Meanwhile, TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will be in Agartala for a pad yatra on Monday ahead of the 25 November civic polls in the state and to “stand beside” party workers “who were brutally attacked by BJP goons.”
Further, in the wake of Congress and BJP leaders joining the TMC over the past few months, Mamata Banerjee’s visit has created buzz about whether BJP member Varun Gandhi might change course as well.
While there have been calls for unity between the opposition, it remains to be seen whether Banerjee will meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in her three-day visit.
At the end of last month, Banerjee had made scathing remarks against the Congress party, holding them responsible for making the BJP stronger.
(With inputs from PTI and The Times of India.)
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