Mamata alleges Congress, CPI(M) nexus with BJP in Bengal; accuses BSF of scaring voters

Express News Service

KOLKATA: Kicking off her marketing campaign for the panchayat polls after 15 years and for the primary time since her get together got here to energy in West Bengal in 2011 Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday mentioned the nexus between the CPI(M), Congress and the BJP within the upcoming rural elections will get washed away by the decision of the voters.

“We are trying to form a grand alliance (Mahajot) against the BJP at the Centre. But the CPI (M) and Congress are trying to work with the BJP in Bengal. I will break this unholy nexus in Bengal,” the TMC supremo mentioned whereas addressing a panchayat election rally right here on Monday.

This is for the second time within the final ten days that Banerjee has criticised the Congress and CPI (M) for having a tacit understanding with the BJP.

Addressing a rally in Cooch Behar in north Bengal, the place the BJP made deep inroads within the 2019 basic elections, Mamata additionally focused the Border Security Force (BSF).

“I have information that some BSF officials are visiting the border areas, threatening voters and forcing them not to vote. I will ask people not to be scared of BSF’s tactics and participate in the elections fearlessly,” she mentioned.

While referring to the alleged capturing of villagers by the BSF final 12 months, whom the border drive claimed as smugglers, Banerjee mentioned, “Police will lodge FIRs in such cases and the law will take its own course.”

“They don’t have the right to shoot and kill anyone. No one is above the law; it seems killing people in the Cooch Behar district has become a norm,” she mentioned.

She additionally asserted that “law and order is a state subject” and the Centre has no position in it.

Her feedback evoked a pointy response from the BSF Guwahati Frontier, below whose jurisdiction Cooch Behar falls.

In a strongly worded assertion, it mentioned the allegations are “totally baseless and far from the truth,” including that the BSF “has never intimidated any border population or voters in the bordering areas for any reason.”

“It is to appraise that the allegations leveled against BSF by the CM West Bengal during a rally at Cooch Behar, is totally baseless and far from the truth,” the discharge mentioned.

It mentioned the BSF is an expert drive entrusted with the duty of securing the worldwide border of India, and “has never intimidated any border population or voters in the bordering areas for any reason.”

It identified that BSF personnel deployed for election obligation are below the general supervision of the native administration.

For their half, Opposition events alleged that Mamata has begun campaigning for the agricultural polls as she is feeling the warmth of voter discontent. 

The BJP, too, dubbed the chief minister’s allegation of utilizing the BSF to serve its political goal as baseless. “Such comments are unacceptable and an insult to our security forces. This reflects the mindset of the TMC, which has been against the BSF since its jurisdiction was increased,” BJP nationwide vice-president Dilip Ghosh mentioned.

The BJP-led central authorities in 2021 had amended the BSF Act to authorise the drive to undertake search, seizure and arrest inside a 50-km stretch, as an alternative of 15 km, from the worldwide border in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam. This had snowballed into a significant political challenge in Bengal, with the ruling TMC passing a decision within the state meeting opposing the Centre’s choice.

(With further inputs from PTI)

KOLKATA: Kicking off her marketing campaign for the panchayat polls after 15 years and for the primary time since her get together got here to energy in West Bengal in 2011 Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday mentioned the nexus between the CPI(M), Congress and the BJP within the upcoming rural elections will get washed away by the decision of the voters.

“We are trying to form a grand alliance (Mahajot) against the BJP at the Centre. But the CPI (M) and Congress are trying to work with the BJP in Bengal. I will break this unholy nexus in Bengal,” the TMC supremo mentioned whereas addressing a panchayat election rally right here on Monday.

This is for the second time within the final ten days that Banerjee has criticised the Congress and CPI (M) for having a tacit understanding with the BJP.googletag.cmd.push(operate() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

Addressing a rally in Cooch Behar in north Bengal, the place the BJP made deep inroads within the 2019 basic elections, Mamata additionally focused the Border Security Force (BSF).

“I have information that some BSF officials are visiting the border areas, threatening voters and forcing them not to vote. I will ask people not to be scared of BSF’s tactics and participate in the elections fearlessly,” she mentioned.

While referring to the alleged capturing of villagers by the BSF final 12 months, whom the border drive claimed as smugglers, Banerjee mentioned, “Police will lodge FIRs in such cases and the law will take its own course.”

“They don’t have the right to shoot and kill anyone. No one is above the law; it seems killing people in the Cooch Behar district has become a norm,” she mentioned.

She additionally asserted that “law and order is a state subject” and the Centre has no position in it.

Her feedback evoked a pointy response from the BSF Guwahati Frontier, below whose jurisdiction Cooch Behar falls.

In a strongly worded assertion, it mentioned the allegations are “totally baseless and far from the truth,” including that the BSF “has never intimidated any border population or voters in the bordering areas for any reason.”

“It is to appraise that the allegations leveled against BSF by the CM West Bengal during a rally at Cooch Behar, is totally baseless and far from the truth,” the discharge mentioned.

It mentioned the BSF is an expert drive entrusted with the duty of securing the worldwide border of India, and “has never intimidated any border population or voters in the bordering areas for any reason.”

It identified that BSF personnel deployed for election obligation are below the general supervision of the native administration.

For their half, Opposition events alleged that Mamata has begun campaigning for the agricultural polls as she is feeling the warmth of voter discontent. 

The BJP, too, dubbed the chief minister’s allegation of utilizing the BSF to serve its political goal as baseless. “Such comments are unacceptable and an insult to our security forces. This reflects the mindset of the TMC, which has been against the BSF since its jurisdiction was increased,” BJP nationwide vice-president Dilip Ghosh mentioned.

The BJP-led central authorities in 2021 had amended the BSF Act to authorise the drive to undertake search, seizure and arrest inside a 50-km stretch, as an alternative of 15 km, from the worldwide border in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam. This had snowballed into a significant political challenge in Bengal, with the ruling TMC passing a decision within the state meeting opposing the Centre’s choice.

(With further inputs from PTI)