Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday alleged that the Trinamul Congress was misusing the administrative machinery to deny opposition parties equal democratic rights during election campaigning.
Accusing the South 24 Parganas district police of not granting permission to the BJP candidate from Jadavpur Lok Sabha seat to hold a meeting at Bhangar assembly segment, Adhikari asserted, "Police, under the control of TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, do not believe in ensuring a level-playing field for every contestant."
Adhikari said, "We had a scheduled meeting at Bhangar to be addressed by me, and the administration did not object to it until the other day. However, this morning, our candidate was informed that with a TMC meeting scheduled 100 metres away, the BJP meeting cannot be allowed. Ironically, no such TMC meeting is taking place within a radius of 500 metres."
Despite BJP's appeal to the Election Commission for intervention, Adhikari said the poll panel declined to intervene, leaving the matter to police and local administration.
"We are law-abiding citizens. We won't proceed with today's meeting. But I am telling the electorate through the media that the multi-party democratic system is now under threat in West Bengal. The level playing field is missing," Adhikari emphasised.
He alleged that police did not react similarly when the CPI(M) scheduled meetings in the assembly segment, suggesting a potential nexus between the Marxists and Trinamul.
Highlighting the significance of Bhangar assembly segment in Jadavpur Lok Sabha seat, Adhikari underscored its pivotal role in determining the winner in the four-cornered contest among the BJP, TMC, ISF, and CPI(M).
Accusing TMC's Canning South MLA Shaukat Mollah of intimidating Bhangar voters, Adhikari criticised Mollah for evading a CBI summons despite facing serious smuggling charges. Mollah had previously said he would meet CBI officials after the polls.
Adhikari concluded by threatening to return to Bhangar "after June 4, to celebrate the BJP's victory in the Lok Sabha polls."
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