BJP President Rejects TMC Leaders’ Induction Speculations
NEW DELHI: Samik Bhattacharya, the West Bengal BJP president, dismissed rumors regarding the induction of former Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders into the BJP, stating that the party would not accept “tainted” individuals. He emphasized that the “trinamoolisation of BJP would never happen.”
Speaking in Kolkata, Bhattacharya asserted that the BJP’s growth in West Bengal has been fueled by grassroots workers rather than political defections. He firmly stated that there was no intention to accommodate those who had left the ousted TMC. “Our doors are closed for TMC. We reached the number 207 without importing anyone. The people voted against the leaders of TMC. Our political strategy began from the bottom. How can we include tainted individuals in our party?” he noted.
Bhattacharya also criticized the opposition party, claiming that public support for the TMC has declined, and that the party is currently grappling with internal contradictions. His statements were made as TMC leader Mamata Banerjee prepared for a protest over alleged post-poll violence aimed at her party’s leaders.
“The people of West Bengal will not allow Mamata Banerjee to protest. TMC is not in a position to face the public through demonstrations,” he remarked, adding that Banerjee’s political maneuvers were attempts to distract from TMC’s challenges within the state. He further claimed, “Everyone knows what happened when the former CM went to court. Now, TMC is against TMC. Mamata Banerjee can protest anywhere, but the people of West Bengal have rejected TMC. The game is over,” Bhattacharya concluded.
In response to these developments, Mamata Banerjee is set to lead a protest march on Kolkata’s Rani Rashmoni Road against alleged attacks on TMC leaders following recent political unrest in the region. The planned protest follows incidents involving TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and party MP Kalyan Banerjee, who faced hostility during visits to affected areas in South 24 Parganas and Hooghly. Abhishek Banerjee reported being pelted with bricks, stones, and eggs, leading to an eye injury, while Kalyan Banerjee claimed he was nearly murdered near Chanditala Police Station.
Banerjee condemned these alleged attacks, labeling them as indicative of “absurd and authoritarian conduct.” She threatened that if the TMC was prevented from protesting in Kolkata, the party would take its demonstration to the national capital. “Arrest me if you want. The TMC will hold its protest on June 2 even without police permission, microphones, or a stage. If we are not allowed to protest in Kolkata, we will protest in Delhi,” she stated in a video.
BJP leader Rahul Sinha questioned the motives behind the planned demonstration, suggesting that the controversy was politically manipulated, while also noting that permissions for public demonstrations fall under police jurisdiction.
In related news, police have arrested five individuals in connection with the alleged attack on Abhishek Banerjee, and investigations are ongoing.
