New Delhi: Trinamool Congress leader and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday alleged that “goons” linked to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) “engage in hooliganism” outside her Kolkata residence while claiming police inaction in “atrocities” in the state.
Addressing a press conference here, Banerjee said: “Police officers are knocking on the doors of my party leaders, warning them to join the rival faction or go to jail…terrible atrocities are going on in Bengal. I am not allowed to move out of my house without court orders.”
“More than 70 people have been murdered, more than 45 rapes have taken place, including of girl children and ‘adivasis’…but police are not taking any cognisance,” she added.
Referring to attacks on the vehicles of her Trinamool faction leaders, the former CM asked: “Have you ever heard leaders of the ruling party being attacked?”
“Local police stations in Bengal have become BJP’s block office and the headquarters of District officers have been converted to their ‘Zilla office’. The police headquarters have become their state Committee office,” she alleged.
Further, Banerjee claimed that security has been withdrawn by the BJP government from her residence. “Now they are lying that I am availing Z plus security.”
“On the instructions of the present government, 200-300 hooligans are engaging in hooliganism in front of my house…even women are not safe,” she alleged.
“People are unable to open their shops now. Kolkata used to be so lively; now there are no people on roads after 8 pm…hawkers are homeless, their livelihoods have been snatched. In fact, people linked to the BJP are even looting the donation boxes at temples, calling it their property,” she alleged.
MoreoverBanerjee claimed that during the Assembly polls in West Bengal, “security personnel went door to door, threatened people against voting for the Trinamool Congress; CRPF personnel were also involved.”
“War vehicles which are used in Kashmir, have been used by BJP leaders for campaigning.”
“Is this a mockery of democracy? People cannot be treated like this,” she asserted.
Meanwhile, Mamata All India Trinamool Congress (MAITC) MP Abhishek Banerjee, who was also present at the press conference, asked why the BJP is responding to the questions being raised at the ECI.
Referring to the NCPI seeking Bharat Ratna for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, he retorted: “If he can be given ‘Bharat Ratna’ for ‘vote chori’, then please reward him.”
Reiterating the former Chief Minister’s allegations that the number of voter deletions is more than the winning margin in many constituencies in the state, Abhishek Banerjee said: “We received many such reports where the serial numbers of EVMs control unit and balloting unit at the counting centre did not match with what was recorded in Form 17C.”
Further, he claimed that several MLAs and leaders of Mamata Banerjee’s faction “are still languishing in jails”, as they didn’t join the “dishonest group”.
(IANS)
