The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday accused the West Bengal government of suppressing peaceful protests by Hindu organisations against what it described as the continued “targeted violence” against community members in Bangladesh.
The attacks on the community in Bangladesh had deeply hurt and angered Hindus in India, prompting peaceful demonstrations in various parts of the country, BJP MP and spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, addressing a press briefing.
However, in States ruled by the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, the situation was “dire”, he alleged. The INDIA bloc partners had adopted an ideology of “eradication of Sanatan Dharma”, and were protecting “illegal immigrants”, he alleged.
Mr. Trivedi accused the West Bengal government and the police of acting against peaceful protests by Hindu organisations over what he said were continued attacks on minority communities in Bangladesh, particularly Hindus.
“We strongly condemn this brutal action. This makes it amply clear that the West Bengal government has adopted the ‘eradication of Sanatan Dharma’ ideology from [their allies in] Tamil Nadu, and is implementing it there,” he alleged. He cited past controversies, including statements related to the construction of Babri Masjid in West Bengal and “deplorable” remarks by Trinamool Congress MLA Madan Mitra on Lord Rama.
The BJP leader also recalled a past remark by West Bengal Minister Firhad Hakim, who had once described a constituency as a “mini-Pakistan”.
“Now, under the Trinamool Congress rule, many ‘mini-Pakistans’ are being created in West Bengal. Hindus do not even have the freedom to express their sorrow, sentiments, and pain,” he alleged. Seeking to draw a parallel with Bangladesh, he claimed that while the Jamaat-e-Islami was carrying out targeted violence against Hindus there, the Trinamool Congress government was taking targeted action against Hindus.
Referring to the murders of Hargobindo Das and his son Chandan Das in Murshidabad earlier this year, Mr. Trivedi alleged that the incident was a case of targeted violence and had no connection with the Waqf Board issue. Speaking of the ‘Direct Action Day’ of August 1946, he claimed that “targeted action days” were now being carried out under the current West Bengal government.