New Delhi: Asserting defeat and victory are part of the election process and murder or attacks on political rivals have no place in a democracy, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Parvesh Verma on Tuesday condemned the post-poll violence in West Bengal and warned the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders stating they may face similar violence in the national capital.
Verma said the “TMC goons started attacking our workers and leaders after winning the elections”, adding they set houses and shops of the BJP workers on fire besides vandalizing vehicles.
“The TMC must remember that its MPs, Chief Minister, MLAs also have to come to Delhi and they may be treated in the same way as they are attacking BJP workers in West Bengal. It is a warning to TMC leaders,” IANS quoted the BJP MP as saying.
Responding to a poser on what he means by warning, Verma said the “TMC leaders who instigate the violence must understand they will have to venture out of the state and will have to visit the national capital”.
“If they don't mend their ways, TMC leaders may also receive the same treatment in Delhi,” he added.
Verma, a second term Lok Sabha member from the West Delhi parliamentary constituency, later shared on Twitter a video of an attack on the BJP workers and said “this is what fascism looks like in real life”.
“I dare TMC to use the word "Fascism" ever again for anyone else other than @MamataOfficial. Because this is what Fascism looks like in real..,” he wrote.
Earlier in the day, BJP national president J.P. Nadda launched a vitriolic attack on the TMC over the violence in West Bengal and said that he had never seen such intolerance after results of a poll in independent India.
“We are committed to fighting this ideological battle and the activities of TMC which is full of intolerance. We are ready to fight democratically,” added Nadda as he arrived in Kolkata to meet the families of violence-affected BJP workers and supporters.
The BJP has announced to hold a nationwide dharna on May 5 against the widespread violence unleashed allegedly by the TMC workers post the results of the assembly elections.
The BJP said this protest will be held following all Covid-19 protocols across all organisational mandals of the party.