The Congress Monday accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal and the BJP of playing out a “fixed match in stirring up communal passion” in the state “to seek political dividends”.
State unit chief Adhir Chowdhury claimed that Bengal had always remained peaceful and blamed the two parties for the communal clashes being reported from different parts of the state.
“Communal situation, which was alien to West Bengal, has now reached alarming proportions. It is owing to the lack of governance here. The BJP-RSS and the ruling TMC are playing a fixed match to reap political dividend out of the communal tension,” he said.
He alleged that the TMC and BJP were in an “under-the-table arrangement” for each other’s benefit. “It is a give and take policy between the two. The BJP-RSS has bailed the TMC out of the Saradha and Narada scams. In return, the TMC has been extending all cooperation to the BJP. As a result we have seen how BJP won three seats in the last Assembly elections,” he added.
In New Delhi, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said: “The BJP is responsible and has a hand in creating such a sensitive situation in Bengal where communal passions are flared up… Whereas it is the duty of the government to deal with such elements sternly and help bring about peace and normalcy in the state. It should also find out which elements and forces are behind creation of such a communal situation…”
Adhir, meanwhile, told mediapersons that the state had never witnessed a situation like this. After Independence, it was ruled by both the Congress and the Left Front but during their reigns, communal harmony had never been threatened. Adhir’s remarks were in reference to clashes during the just-concluded Durga Puja festival and Muharram.
Adhir said communal tension has reached an alarming proportion and that the intention of both parties is to divide the votes.
“Workers of the opposition parties are being assaulted, implicated in false cases and their party offices are being set on fire. But there has been no instance where a BJP worker has been jailed or a BJP office razed,” Chowdhury added. He alleged that the Opposition workers were being prevented from entering the areas affected with communal tension.
On cross-border infiltration, he said the central government has exhausted its resources trying to protect the western front while even as on the eastern side about 4,000 km border with Bangladesh remained porous.
“Given the current regime, which has no other business than to dismantle the democratic set up of the state, it is natural that Bengal has become a safe haven and safe corridor for terrorists. The ISIS is more dangerous than other terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed and is more likely to invade the eastern region,” he said.
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