Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and its Lok Sabha candidate from Bengal's Hoogly, Locket Chatterjee, on Saturday, claimed that her vehicle was targeted by people she identified as “TMC goons, led by Shilpi Chatterjee,” in Bansberia area of the state. In response to the assault, irate party leaders condemned the attack and accused the state government, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, of condoning such acts of violence.
In an X post, Chatterjee wrote, “TMC’s goons, led by Shilpi Chatterjee, shamelessly attacked my vehicle amidst #KaliPuja in Bansberia. Their audacity exposes the Trinamool’s mafia grip over Hooghly. Today, their thugs dared to block my pilgrimage to Maa’s Puja. The lack of candidate security is appalling, a clear sign of voter intimidation. Hooghly deserves a fair election – every thug should be put behind bars now! @ECISVEEP”.
Reacting to the incident, Amit Malviya, IT cell head of the saffron party, remarked that the state police would likely "remain a mute spectator".
“Shilpi and her band of thugs can dare to do this because they know Mamata Banerjee’s police will remain a mute spectator. This is the surest sign that TMC is losing Hooghly, again,” Malviya said in an X post.
BJP leader Agnimitra Paul told ANI, "What does Mamata Banerjee think? Can she win the elections by attacking our leaders, threatening the public, and putting cases against our party workers?"
"When the Left was in power, they used to think that no one could remove them from power in West Bengal but the people of Bengal can remove anyone at any time. It will not take long for us to remove you from power," she added further.
In an interaction with ANI, BJP Leader Rahul Sinha said, "We condemn the attack and stringent action is required against those who are found guilty. I want to request the Election Commission to strict the arrangements..."
Commenting on the alleged attack on NIA officials, BJP leader Rahul Sinha stated, "West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee backed the attack on NIA. She stood in support of the attackers, just like she did in Sandeshkhali, initially, TMC supported and later withdrew. When a CM lends her support, such attacks become inevitable in the state". Click here to read the full report on the attack faced by the NIA team in Bengal yesterday.
Earlier on Thursday (April 4), the Bengal unit of the saffron party asserted that Locket Chatterjee’s "dignity was ruthlessly assaulted" by a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader. The party declared that MLA, named Asit Majumdar, "shamelessly" hurled the derogatory term "2 number maal" at her "in full public view".
“This despicable incident lays bare the deep-seated misogyny within TMC’s ranks. Sandeshkhali serves as a stark reflection of the grim reality faced by women under TMC’s oppressive regime. Bengal deserves leaders who uphold the dignity of women, not ones who stoop to such appalling levels,” the centre-ruling party had said in response to the remarks made against Locket Chatterjee.
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