West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh of “using” the Murshidabad violence to “play divisive politics”.
In a “peace appeal” letter, she alleged that the BJP and its allies have “become very aggressive” in her state, accusing them of initiating “vicious false campaign” in the state.
Referring to the violence that erupted in the Murshidabad district amid the protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Banerjee said “these forces are using the backdrop of an unfortunate incident that happened on provocation”.
She alleged that the BJP and its allies were planning on playing “the divide and rule game”, describing it as “sinister”.
The West Bengal CM assured that criminals involved in communal riots are being dealt with, while urging people to avoid mutual mistrust and distrust.
Further in her letter, she alleged, “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.”
‘Defaming Hinduism’
Mamata Banerjee accused the saffron camp and its allies of “defaming” Hinduism in the name of “political agenda”.
She noted that Swami Vivekanand’s Hinduism is a universal religion in India, saying that it teaches her to “embrace all, accept all, love all. It teaches me to respect all religions”.
In contrast to this, she said, what the BJP and its allies are “propagating are false and narrow”. She urged the people to not trust them.
“For maintaining law and order and for saving human lives and dignity, we have taken strong actions. 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.
‘Jealousy has no cure’
Banerjee further alleged that protest rallies are not allowed in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, saying that “no such anti-Constitutional dispensation” is there in West Bengal. She compared the handling of incidents of violence and crimes in these states with that of 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.
Banerjee said that those who create riots always come from the outside and those on the inside have to fight against “their bad deeds”.
She accused Bengal’s “detractors” of jealousy, saying that it has no cure and that it cannot go beyond their “narrow vision”.
Banerjee said that “they want to divert people’s attention from the burning problems” of price rise, enhances cost of medicines, hospital charges and insurance premiums”. To divert attention, she said, “they resort to inflammatory propaganda”.
West Bengal CM appealed to everyone “to stay calm and stay united”, asking them “not to be diverted by the false communal rhetoric”.
Three persons died, several others injured and numerous properties were damaged during the protests over Waqf act in Murshidabad last week.