Kolkata: Alleging that the BJP and the RSS initiated a “vicious false campaign” in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday urged the people to maintain peace, and stated that the majority and the minority communities must take care of each other.
Referring to the violence in Murshidabad, Banerjee said “these forces” were using the backdrop of “an unfortunate incident” that happened “on provocation” to play divisive politics.
“BJP and its allies have suddenly become very aggressive in West Bengal. These allies include RSS. I have not taken the RSS’s name earlier, but I am being forced now to identify them. Together, they all have initiated a vicious false campaign in the State,” she alleged in the open letter, which was made public late in the night.
“These forces are using the backdrop of an unfortunate incident that happened on provocation. They are using the backdrop to play divisive politics. They are planning to play the ‘divide and rule’ game. This is sinister,” she added.
Asserting that the “criminals” behind the riots are being strongly dealt with, Banerjee said that at the same time “mutual mistrust and distrust” must be avoided.
“The majority and the minority communities must work together and take care of each other,” she said.
“They had originally planned to use the Ram Navami day for playing with fire, but the Ram Navami celebrations in West Bengal have been most peaceful. Then they tried to use some subsequent matters relating to the agitations against the Waqf (Amendment) Act,” she alleged.
Urging people not to trust the BJP and its allies, she alleged that they want to incite riots.
“…riots can affect everyone. We love all. We want to stay together. We condemn riots. We are against riots. They want to divide us for some narrow electoral politics,” she said.
The CM said she has taken “strong actions” for maintaining law and order and saving human lives and dignity.
“Two police officers-in-charge have been removed. Police is investigating. Further actions are being taken. Please remember that riots are created neither by Hindus, nor by Muslims, riots are engineered by criminals. Strict actions will be taken against all criminals. No one will be spared,” she said.
Banerjee claimed that protest rallies are not allowed in the BJP-ruled UP, Bihar, MP and Rajasthan, but no such anti-Constitutional dispensation is there in West Bengal.
“When they use bulldozers in UP, agony comes. In contrast, in West Bengal, when someone suffers, we help. That is our approach in West Bengal. No community will be disturbed or adversely affected in West Bengal. We strongly condemn such disturbances,” she said.
“Those who create riots always come from outside and then go away. We from inside have to now fight against their bad deeds. We shall together survive and win,” she said.
Banerjee said her “detractors”, the BJP, want to divert people’s attention from the burning problem of price rise, and hence they have taken recourse to “inflammatory propaganda”.
“Jealousy has no cure. The jealous cannot go beyond their narrow vision. Our detractors do not want employment, development, creativity – their only interest is to ensure price rise, to enhance costs of medicines, hospital charges and insurance premium, to increase the price of petrol, diesel and even domestic cooking gas,” she said.
“Finally, my appeal to everyone again is: stay calm, stay united. Do not give in to mistrust and distrust. Do not be diverted by their false communal rhetoric,” she said.
Three people were killed, several others injured, and numerous properties were vandalised during protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act in Murshidabad last week.
