Kolkata: Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday accused the BJP of politicising deaths after alleging that the party failed to keep its promise of looking after the families of its deceased workers.
Addressing an election rally in Balarampur in Purulia district, Banerjee said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had promised the families of deceased BJP workers Trilochan Mahato and Dulal Kumar that one member from each family would be given a job. Even eight years later, no job had been provided, he claimed.
Banerjee further alleged that, on the contrary, when family members tried to reach out, BJP’s Purulia MP Jyotirmay Singh Mahato did not respond to their calls.
In 2018, two BJP workers, Trilochan Mahato and Dulal Kumar, died under unnatural circumstances in Balarampur in Purulia ahead of the state panchayat elections. Eight years later, the issue has resurfaced ahead of another election.
Abhishek Banerjee said: “I remember the unnatural death of two BJP workers in Balarampur before the panchayat elections in 2018. The BJP had started disturbing the peace of Balarampur by doing shameless politics around the deaths. The BJP won the parliamentary seat of Purulia in 2019. It won by a very small margin in the Balarampur Assembly constituency in 2021. They did politics over death, they did politics with dead bodies. The then BJP national president Amit Shah met the families of Trilochan Mahato and Dulal Kumar and told them that one member would get a job in a central office. It has been eight years, but still no job has been given.”
According to the Trinamool Congress leader, if a party forgets its workers after eight years, it cannot serve the people.
At the same time, Banerjee also questioned the candidature of Jaladhar Mahato, whom the BJP has fielded from the Balarampur constituency.
“I heard that the person who has become a candidate here this time is a close aide of MP Jyotirmay Singh Mahato. I also heard that he bribed Jyotirmay Mahato with a new car to get the party ticket to contest the election. I do not know if it is true or not. Do the people of Balarampur deserve this? Will you accept this insult?” Banerjee asked.
Banerjee also criticised the frequent delays of trains such as the Howrah-Chakradharpur Express and the Purulia Express. He questioned how an MP could ensure basic services like water and housing if he could not ensure timely train services.
Banerjee also accused the Centre of depriving the Kurmi community, not recognising the Kurmali language, and attempting to undermine the traditions of tribal communities by proposing a Uniform Civil Code.
He said, “I will tell those who do politics on the basis of religion that there is peace and Ram at the grassroots level. Shantiram Mahato is our candidate. He works round the clock throughout the year. Do not waste your vote this time and help our candidate win by a huge margin.”
(IANS)
