BJP accuses Mamata Banerjee's government of trying to create 'West Bangladesh'

The BJP Tuesday accused the Mamata Banerjee government of trying to create "West Bangladesh" by allowing infiltrators from Bangladesh to settle in West Bengal. The TMC, however, claimed that the National Register for Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship Amendment Bill were aimed at deliberately targeting the minority community.

Speaking on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address in the Lok Sabha, Dilip Ghosh said the law and order situation in the state is in complete shambles and democracy in doldrums. "The (West Bengal) chief minister is very interested to become prime minister... She is trying to combine Bengal and Bangladesh and create West Bangladesh. There is a conspiracy going on to separate Bengal from India," Ghosh said.

The first time BJP MP from West Bengal said there is nothing political about 'Jai Shri Ram' slogan of the BJP since it was Lord Rama who taught justice and law and order, which is required in the state. "Jai Bangla is a slogan imported from Bangladesh, whereas Jai Shri Ram is our own slogan," Ghosh said.

The BJP won 18 out of the total 42 parliamentary seats in the TMC stronghold West Bengal in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll. "West Bengal is the only state which witnessed violence during the general elections. They are saying that you have to learn Bengali to go to West Bengal. This is the 'Sonar Bangla' we are now witnessing," Ghosh said.

Speaking in the House, Mahua Moitra (TMC) accused the BJP of spreading fear across the country since 2014 and politicising the issue of 2.77 acres of land (in Ayodhya). "The BJP is mixing religion with citizenship. Through the National Register for Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Bill, only one community is being targeted," Moitra charged, adding even school textbooks are being changed to indoctrinate students.

She said there is an erosion of electoral system and a "dangerous fascism" rising in India under the BJP. Holding that the Constitution was under threat, Mahua Moitra (TMC) said there were signs everywhere that the country was being torn apart. Citizens were being thrown out of their homes, she claimed.

Lynching of young citizens, she said, was taking place and drew the attention of members to the lynching of Tabrez Ansari in Jharkhand. She also alleged the five large media houses in India were directly or indirectly being controlled by a single man. BJP member Nishikant Dubey objected to Moitra's reference to 2.77 acre land and NRC in her speech, saying the two issues are pending before the Supreme Court. To this, TMC leader Saugata Roy attacked Dubey saying his objections are "bogus".

"He has been put up by the Government to obstruct the opposition. He is using the green book (Lok Sabha rule book) without understanding to impede opposition speech," Roy said. In his defence, Dubey said Roy has become "so blind in defending Mamata Banerjee that he cannot read Lok Sabha rules".

-PTI