Kolkata: Former chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee alleged on Monday that a “police raj” is prevailing in West Bengal.
Accusing the BJP of trying to kill Lok Sabha MPs Abhishek Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee, Mamata threatened to take her protest to Delhi if the new government denied her permission to stage a protest in Kolkata against attacks on TMC leaders, reported India Today.
“They are not giving us permission to hold a dharna. The road is mostly clear and it is a protest of barely 100 people. We submitted a letter to the police. If they did not want us to hold it there, they could have suggested another venue. If you don’t give permission, I will protest in Delhi alone,” Mamata said, addressing party workers and supporters virtually.
The BJP won the recent West Bengal Assembly polls with a thumping majority, ending Mamata and TMC’s 15-year rule in the state.
The former CM further alleged that the police was helping the ruling party weaken the TMC through intimidation, arrests and electoral manipulation.
Her nephew and the party’s national general secretary Abhishek had eggs thrown at him and was injured after being attacked while visiting a post-poll victim’s family home in Sonarpur. Kalyan, the MP from Sreerampore, was allegedly targeted in Hooghly a day later.
Mamata reiterated that the alleged assaults were part of a deliberate attempt to kill senior Opposition leaders.
Slamming “police raj” in the state, Mamata said: “Total lawlessness is going on and TMC will not be weakened by snatching away one or two MLA… Police are not giving permission to TMC to conduct meetings and rallies. Still, we will emerge stronger.”
“They are not allowing our workers to hold meetings and are not allowing us to come out. They have broken 2,500 party offices. They have seized Eidgaahs and closed missionary institutions,” she added.
She further alleged that party supporters were being threatened with fabricated criminal cases. “They are threatening our workers that if they participate in meetings, they will be charged in fake arms cases and narcotics cases.”
