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Journalism of Courage
Nisith Pramanik is one of the BJP’s most recognisable faces in West Bengal and at 38 years old the youngest minister in the Narendra Modi government. The Union Minister of State for Home is looking to retain Cooch Behar, which is one of the three seats in north Bengal going to polls in the first phase on April 19. In an interview, Pramanik, who switched from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to the BJP before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, talks to The Indian Express about attacks on central agencies in the state, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s comments on him, and why the problem of undocumented migration across the India-Bangladesh border continues to persist.
Excerpts:
West Bengal is a state where no respect or heed is paid to the federal structure. Earlier, we saw the same thing happening with the CBI. Not only that, miscreants backed by the ruling party are hampering investigations but they are being shielded.
When the ED tried to interrogate Sheikh Sahjahan and its officials were assaulted, the police slapped cases on the officials. When the mothers and sisters of Sandeshkhali took up lathis to protest, the police were forced to arrest Shahjahan. The same thing repeats in every investigation. Sadly, the Chief Minister or a section of IPS officers who have taken oath under the Constitution are insulting it.
The honourable CM is misinterpreting the law and the Constitution. Does it suit her to insult the very Constitution she took oath on?
Mamata Banerjee gave false promises to the people of Bengal. She used to say she had no family of her own and that the people of Bengal were her family. But see how she brought in her nephew and nepotism began. Many able youth leaders were sidelined only to project Abhishek Banerjee. Wherever Mamata has given Abhishek the charge, the TMC has fallen flat on its face. If a young leader rises from a small village, it gives Mamata a headache. From a backward community, I became the youngest minister in Modi ji’s Cabinet. Is Mamata Banerjee jealous of me?
The police and the TMC complement each other. We organised our party programme in Dinhata with the Election Commission’s permission. I have Z-plus security, the police are supposed to have all the information about the route. But the police did not know about a TMC gathering there. Either it was an intelligence failure or the police deliberately allowed the gathering.
The vehicles of our workers were pelted with stones. A senior leader who is 74 years old (state Cabinet Minister Udayan Guha) should not do such things. With the TMC realising that its organisational base is shaky, it is using the police.
I am not saying anything. People are blessing me and asking me to provide strength to Modi ji.
Once the ground shifts from underneath a person, they stand exposed. I won’t be surprised if the TMC does such things.
It is not possible to fulfil everyone’s expectations all the time. But if there is any party that can help all the communities develop, it is the BJP. Everyone is with us. The small matters that you are referring to are settled, all Rajbongshis are with us.
We will cross 400 this time. In Bengal, the party will win 25 seats at least. I will not be surprised if it bags 30.
Infiltration is an age-old problem in Bengal. We tried for 100% fencing along the India-Bangladesh border. But here, 350 km is not fenced. The Union Home Ministry wrote to the state chief secretary and home secretary several times to acquire land for fencing. We (the Central government) paid the major portion of the money sought (by the state government). However, the state government has not yet acquired land, which is a state subject. People are asking who the state government wants to welcome (in the country) by not allowing fencing,
The BSF (Border Security Force) is taking steps to stop infiltration. They do not fire at innocent people or at will … only after warnings if one tries to cross the border does the BSF take steps. Even then, they aim for the legs. But the BSF is criticised (by the TMC). There is a problem. The language and dressing habits of the two countries (India and Bangladesh) are the same. It is difficult to identify (those crossing over).
