Bengal: BJP Central Team Assessing 'Post-Poll Violence' Faces Protests From Own Party Workers Over Grievances

A BJP central team visiting West Bengal to assess post-poll violence faced protests from its own party workers who accused senior leaders of not showing empathy.

A four-member BJP central team, touring West Bengal to assess the situation following alleged violence against party workers after the Lok Sabha elections, faced unexpected protests from its own party members. The dissenting workers claimed that senior leaders had not shown empathy when they were displaced from their homes and given shelter elsewhere.

The team's convoy was intercepted by protesting BJP workers at Amtala in South 24 Parganas. BJP sources told news agency PTI that these workers aired their grievances to the visiting leaders. On Monday, the team, which includes convener Biplab Deb, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, and Rajya Sabha MPs Brij Lal and Kavita Patidar, visited Cooch Behar to assess the situation amid reports of alleged violence against BJP workers following the Lok Sabha elections.

According to a report by Anand Bazar, a group of BJP workers and supporters staged a protest by blocking the car of Central Party member and former Chief Minister of Tripura Biplab Deb at Amtala in South 24 Parganas on Tuesday. They expressed anger against BJP's Diamond Harbor organisational district president Abhijit Sardar. The protesters also accused Abhijeet of conniving with the Trinamool.

Trinamool Congress leader Shantanu Sen responded, suggesting that the protests by BJP workers against their own leaders indicate a disconnect within the party. He dismissed the BJP's allegations of post-poll violence by the TMC as a sham.

TMC Made Post-Poll Violence A Habit After Election Results: BJP's Biplab Deb

The BJP central team, which includes MLA Agnimitra Paul, MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, and Rajya Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb met post-poll violence victims in South 24 Parganas, news agency ANI reported.

"The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has made post-poll violence a habit after election results," former Tripura CM Biplab Deb told reporters, as quoted by PTI. "The sooner TMC changes this stance of attacking opposition parties, the better it will be for them."

Speaking to ANI, Biplab Deb went on to criticise West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the alleged violence, stating, "Mend your ways or we will make you do it. You (Mamata Banerjee) have ended the 34-year rule of Communists, which I thank you for, but what have you done since then? Worse than the Communists. A woman was raped in Cooch Behar by 20 men, but no FIR was filed. They could have registered a suo motu case. Despite having a female Chief Minister, there is no help. She should be ashamed. She has demeaned the land of Bengal."

He remarked that CM Mamata Banerjee was heading for a downfall and at the end of it she would realise she should have acted.

BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul echoed these sentiments, condemning the TMC's actions. "The way post-poll violence occurred in 2021 under Mamata Banerjee’s leadership, and then she claimed nothing happened and everything was at peace. The NHRC intervened, and the case is ongoing. Ten thousand people fled to Assam and Bihar. This is repeating in 2024. We don't have any expectations from Mamata Banerjee, her Ministers, or the police. We have expectations from the Court, and we will go as far as possible to seek justice for our party workers."