The youth wing of the BJP has set for itself two nearly impossible targets in the midst of the raging Covid-19 pandemic — a march to Nabanna with 2 lakh supporters on October 8 and maintaining social distancing norms during the procession.
Bengal Yuva Morcha chief Saumitra Khan has announced the march in protest against unemployment and alleged breakdown of law and order among others.
Though Khan is upbeat about the youth wing’s ability to bring in 2 lakh supporters from across the state for the march, insiders in the party do not share his optimism. They also said it would be absurd
to even think that social distance could be maintained at the rally.
“Has the leadership even given it a thought that it isn’t possible to bring so many people from across the state since trains are still not running? Even buses are not fully operational,” a Yuva Morcha leader said on the condition of anonymity.
Khan, the Bishnupur MP, however, justified his October 8 call and said: “The central leadership has asked us to get 2 lakh people for the rally. I’m sure we will be able to do that. We will maintain social distancing norms and wear masks.”
A senior BJP leader said even if the party pulled out all stops to fulfil the target, not more than 50,000 people would turn up.
“A gathering of such big scale requires months of planning as people need to be brought in from across the state at least a day before the event. The party also needs to take care of their accommodation and food. Where is time for all that?” the leader asked.
Though Khan claimed that Covid protocol would be adhered to at the rally, social distancing norms had been flouted at meetings that the BJP had held across the state in the midst of the lockdown. In fact, violation of Covid-19 protocol marked all the rallies that the Yuva Morcha has held in the past few months.
When asked, Khan’s party colleagues, who did not want to be named, took the Yuva Morcha chief’s assertion to honour Covid protocol with more than a pinch of salt.
“It is surely a joke. When they can’t abide by the protocol in a rally of 50-60 people, how can they make such claims for a mega rally?” said a party insider.
While Khan is busy planning execution of the Nabanna march, the party’s Bengal leadership met in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss its future course of action ahead of the 2021 polls in Bengal.
The meeting decided that the BJP would on October 5 stage protests in front of 33 block development offices, where misappropriation of Cyclone Amphan relief funds had taken place. The party has also asked its 18 MPs and those who were defeated in the last Lok Sabha polls to campaign in favour of the contentious farm bill in their respective constituencies.
