The BJP on Monday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of engineering the recent spate of violence in the state and demanded her resignation.
Addressing a press conference with three other MPs of her party, Hooghly MP Locket Chatterjee sought the Centre's intervention and demanded a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the violence.
The incidents of violence that have taken place in West Bengal since Ram Navami are the result of a "pre-planned conspiracy" hatched by Banerjee to divert public attention from the issue of corruption under her government and to consolidate Muslim votes in her favour with eyes on upcoming polls, she charged.
While the country is progressing under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal under the TMC rule is witnessing a situation like “old Kashmir” where people raise Pakistani flag and pelting stones, she alleged.
Ranaghat MP Jagannath Sarkar said West Bengal can be saved only by imposition of the President's Rule under Article 356 of the Constitution.
Incidents of violence have been reported from Howrah, Hooghly and Uttar Dinajpur districts in West Bengal in the past few days.
The BJP leader also accused TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee of tweeting a “fake” video of a group of people in which one person was seen carrying a gun and demanded a probe against him for “maligning Hindus.” "This is the result of a pre-planned conspiracy by Mamata Banerjee to consolidate Muslim votes and to make the Muslims happy," Chatterjee said.
The Hooghly MP accused the TMC supremo of playing "appeasement politics" and claimed that "Hindus are under threat in West Bengal".
“She is instigating Muslims to create turmoil. Mamata and her party (TMC) are responsible for what's happening in West Bengal,” Chatterjee charged.
Banerjee had claimed on Friday that the BJP, along with other right-wing organisations, was responsible for the Ram Navami violence.
"Mamata Banerjee is lying. We want the central government to see this (matter) properly. We are demanding an NIA probe," the BJP leader said.
"We also want Mamata (Banerjee) to resign as chief minister and home minister of West Bengal," Chatterjee added.
While replying to questions, the Hooghly MP said they will call on the West Bengal governor and demand an NIA probe.
“We are demanding an NIA probe because we know they (state police) are not going to investigate the cases properly. The entire police administration is Mamata's cadre,” the Hooghly MP charged.
At the press conference at the party headquarters, Raiganj MP Debasree Chaudhuri accused the West Bengal chief minister of playing “petty politics” and alleged that the route of a Ram Navami procession was diverted in an area under her Lok Sabha constituency “on the instructions of the police”.
“But, allegations are being levelled against the organisers. In Dalkhola, as many as 120 people have been booked,” she charged.
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