Questioning the purpose behind the Opposition parties’ decision to visit Manipur, Union Cabinet Minister and BJP leader Anurag Thakur said the delegation is on a political tour. He said the Opposition’s mouths are stitched on the atrocities on women in Rajasthan and West Bengal. Talking to reporters in Kolkata, he said people of West Bengal want to get rid of Mamata Banerjee government in the State.
He said West Bengal is continuously witnessing gruesome incidents of violence and the Opposition is silent on it. “Will the group of Opposition leaders who have gone to Manipur come to take care of the daughters of Bengal-Rajasthan, make a report on the atrocities on them? Are these tourists of political tourism going to Bengal-Rajasthan and ask questions to Mamata-Gehlot government?” Mr. Thakur asked.
He asked Congress leader from the State Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury if he agrees with the atrocities against women in West Bengal. “57 people were mercilessly murdered in West Bengal, power was captured by murder here. Crime against women is at its peak in Rajasthan. But no one saw ‘Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon’ going there. Rahul Gandhi who goes abroad to spread knowledge was also not seen there,” Mr. Thakur added.
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PTI adds:
The BJP leader alleged that Ms. Banerjee, for the last 8-9 years, has been giving shelter to hooligans and criminals for her political benefit.
"Compared to the last [rural] elections, this time the BJP has doubled the number of seats. This shows that people have started fighting back. Results show that Mamata Banerjee's days here are slowly heading to an end," Mr. Thakur said.
State Industry Minister and senior TMC leader Shashi Panja questioned the timing of Mr. Thakur's visit to West Bengal when "Manipur is burning".
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"He [Mr. Thakur] is the one who had said 'Goli maro desh ke gaddaro ko' [shoot the traitors]. He should be behind bars, but since he is a BJP man, he went scot-free," Ms. Panja said.
"Instead of being in Manipur, he is in West Bengal and speaking on violence during rural polls. The PM and other Union ministers are also silent on Manipur. The BJP creates and propagates violence. They had said that the democratically elected government in West Bengal will be overthrown and President’s Rule will be imposed," she said.
Ms. Panja questioned why the Prime Minister was not putting his statement in the Parliament on the Manipur violence.
"Get rid of your theatrics, Mr. Thakur, and think about the people of Manipur, devote yourself to the northeastern State," she added.
West Bengal Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim said such visits won't have any impact.
"I don't want to talk about leaders of the party that vandalises statues of legends. Such leaders won't gain much by coming to Kolkata," he added.
