New Delhi: Politics in West Bengal has been heating up with growing animosity between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP. BJP’s West Bengal secretary Rahul Sinha spoke to News18’s Debayan Roy on Mamata Banerjee’s ‘communal politics’, Muslims in the state supporting BJP and Mamata’s central aspirations.
Q. The political resolution adopted by the BJP national executive on January 7, 2017, accused TMC of “extreme appeasement politics that has led to severe communal tension and strife in these states.” Why such a statement?
A. Look at the disastrous incident which took place in Malda Kalichowk, where not only the police station was burnt but even the officials were beaten up leave alone the public. Even then there were no safety and security measures taken because they were Muslims. Look at Dhulagarh, where there was loot, violence, temples were destroyed, idols were desecrated, police were beaten up, police vehicles were burnt, but still no action was taken because they were Muslims.
In the past 6 months, there have been over 50 such cases, and in every case the state government has acted extremely biased towards a single community and even though police were beaten up, the government kept quiet. Biggest reason is Mamata Banerjee. She has dedicated her government to the Muslim maulvis. During the Friday prayers, while delivering a sermon on Red Road, a Muslim Imam said, “Uni aamader doyar jonno mukho montrir godi the achhen” (it is because of our kindness that she is the Chief Minister). Whenever they want, she can be removed from power.
Toha Siddiqui also made the same statement. Now Mamata has turned into a puppet at the hands of Muslim imams and it is because of this she will not be able to safeguard religious independence in the state. In this state, Durga Puja and Muharram were on separate days. But still she stopped the Durga Puja immersion and carried on the Muharram procession. But when cities like Mumbai can accommodate Ganesh immersion and Muharram together, then why can’t West Bengal? She does not give any legal order or a governmental directive; it is just an oral statement. Advocate General had informed us that the Chief Minister had issued the order just orally without any written order. Her appeasement politics is dividing Bengal on the lines of Hindu Muslim issues.
Q. But many believe that the BJP’s strategy has been clearly to woo the Hindu vote bank, thus polarizing Bengal along religious and communal lines for the first time. What do you think?
A. Communalization as a political strategy has never worked in Bengal which has its ethos in secularization. But Mamata Banerjee’s one sided communal strategy has pushed a considerable part of the Bengal population towards the BJP. This includes the Muslims as well. There are a lot of Muslims who are tired of Banerjee’s communal politics and even they have started supporting BJP. Hence, this strategy of dividing Bengal into Hindus and Muslims is only benefitting BJP. BJP does not want this division, but ordinary Muslims do not want this unnecessary chaos and hence they have started supporting us.
Q. Mukul Roy recently said that Mamata Banerjee would be the next PM in 2019. Do you see her as a major national opposition to PM Modi?
A. When Mamata Banerjee started protesting against demonetisation, all major political parties stood beside her. But as soon as her flaws started getting exposed, all the parties distanced themselves from the Trinamool Congress. All the political parties implicitly laid down that ‘we are not going to support thieves’. Now she is going to Rashtrapati Bhavan and all other venues to protest alone and she has no supporters. This means she has lost any sort of national significance in the country especially in front of all national opposition parties. She should safeguard her throne in her state, then dream about her seat in the central government.
She went to Bihar and the audience was collected by paying Rs 300 to each individual who attended it, but even those people complained against her. Now she went to Bhubaneshwar, where only chairs had a meeting and not a single person attended it. The by-election results all across the country show how BJP is progressing and she should realise where she lies. In her endeavor to make a national presence she might end up losing her share even in Bengal. ‘Dilli akhono onek durey’ (Delhi is still far away for her).
Q. BJP leader Krishna Bhattacharya`s house was allegedly attacked on January 3rd by TMC workers. Do you think these attacks highlight a growing fear that your party is gaining a foothold in Bengal politics?
A. BJP has now scaled to become the second most important party in Bengal and CPM has lost its existence. TMC is extremely scared at the prospects of BJP’s growth and in the event of such a scare, they have started losing their mind and hence such mindless attacks. This kind of politics will only lead to the ouster of TMC in Bengal even before the next polls.
Q. The CPM alleged you were cooperating with Mamata for Votes in Rajya Sabha. So, what changed suddenly? Why is this animosity between BJP and TMC?
A. This is an age-old statement of CPM and has no merit. They are just trying to hide their incompetence, and even if BJP-TMC has a pact then it will only benefit CPM. Hypothetically speaking even if such a thing is true, then CPM will become the main opposition and can succeed in elections, but unfortunately, they have lost their competence to even stand up and protest and hence has no other work rather than hatching such stories. Bengal will never trust CPM again and their 34 years of loot has led to their complete erosion of credibility.
Q. Why did the Centre wait for two years to take action on the chit fund scam and the two TMC MPs were arrested just after the TMC protested against demonetisation? Does it raise any suspicion?
A. Demonetisation was declared on November 8, 2016. Almost one and a half months prior to PM Modi’s move, these two TMC leaders were called for questioning by the CBI. They kept denying the orders for all this while, and if they would have met CBI when they were called for then they would have been arrested much before the move of demonetisation was announced. They would have been arrested before November 8, but it is their non-compliance of CBI order that led to this delay. They kept saying that parliamentary session is in progress and they would meet CBI later. There is no relation of their arrests with demonetisation. Even if it is after demonetisation, thief is a thief, and they will be arrested.
Q. Who is the face of BJP in West Bengal?
A. Face is only one and it is Narendra Modi. People will look at his policies and vote for him. We do not need any other face.
Q. Lastly, what do you have to say about TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee’s statement against PM Narendra Modi?
A. I am ashamed to think he is an advocate and a Member of Parliament. The kind of language that he has used against the Prime Minister of the country is unacceptable and he must resign at once. But I understand his pain because a large amount of black money that he had compiled has been eaten by rats now after demonetisation.
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