Kolkata: West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President and Rajya Sabha MP, Samik Bhattacharya, on Sunday, alleged that democratic rights are being systematically suppressed in West Bengal under the Trinamool Congress-led state government.
Addressing a press conference at the state BJP headquarters at 6 Muralidhar Sen Lane in Kolkata, Bhattacharya said that the right to dissent is the cornerstone of any democracy, yet the Opposition is being denied this constitutional right in the state.
He added that West Bengal Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari has been forced to approach the court more than 104 times to seek permission for organising political rallies and public meetings.
LoP Adhikari was also suspended from the West Bengal Assembly for 11 months, which according to State BJP President Bhattacharya, reflects the grim condition of political party workers and common citizens in the state.
The BJP leaders also recalled the serious attack on Suvendu Adhikari after his victory in Nandigram in 2021 state polls, when miscreants allegedly tried to set his vehicle on fire by pouring petrol on it.
Bhattacharya claimed that the Trinamool Congress is finding it extremely difficult to field a strong candidate against Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram.
During the press conference, Suvendu Adhikari received the official election symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party for contesting from the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency.
He has expressed his desire to contest directly against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from her native Assembly seat.
After receiving the BJP poll symbol, LoP Adhikari will pay floral tributes to Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee before proceeding to Bhabanipur.
Suvendu Adhikari announced that he will file his nomination papers for the Nandigram Assembly seat on March 30 at 12 noon in Haldia.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, former State BJP President Dilip Ghosh, Uttar Pradesh Minister JPS Rathore, and BJP candidates from Haldia and Mahishadal are expected to be present on the occasion.
Samik Bhattacharya also highlighted the historical importance of the BJP office at 6 Muralidhar Sen Lane.
He described it as the soul and life force of the BJP in West Bengal, from where many senior leaders like Haripada Bharati and Tapan Sikdar had worked in the past.
Although most day-to-day party activities are now conducted from the Salt Lake office, this historic headquarters continues to hold immense emotional value for BJP workers.
(IANS)
