Several chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, who were reportedly mentioned by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her “bullying statement” suggesting that “if Bengal burns, Assam, the Northeast, Odisha and Delhi will also burn”, came down heavily on their Bengali counterpart on Wednesday (August 29). They expressed their displeasure in the strongest terms against her divisive language.
Taking to their respective social media accounts, Chief Ministers of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma, Manipur N Biren Singh and Odisha Mohan Charan Majhi slammed Mamata Banerjee for her irresponsible statement and sought her public apology.
BJP-ruled chief ministers attack their Bengal counterpart
Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma slammed Banerjee for allegedly trying to trigger riots across India with her “politics of failure”. “Didi, how dare you threaten Assam? Don’t show us red eyes. Don’t try to set India on fire with your politics of failure. It does not suit you to speak in such divisive language,” she said. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh slammed her and said, “How dare Didi threaten the Northeast? I condemn such irresponsible remarks in the strongest terms. She must publicly apologise to the Northeast and the rest of the nation. Mamata Banerjee must immediately stop inciting violence and hatred with divisive politics. It is very unbecoming of a political leader to issue threats of violence on a public platform.”
Notably, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also spoke along with his BJP counterparts and slammed Mamata Banerjee for her controversial remarks. He said, “For making such objectionable remarks about Odisha, Mamata Banerjee, who gave you this right? Odisha is a peaceful state; the people of Odisha are also responsible and conscious. Our people will never accept your hateful attitude, negative remarks and insensitive attitude towards our state, Odisha. The comment you are making is dangerous for the country without giving justice to the victim of a heinous crime. Please refrain from this. Stay calm.”
What Mamata Banerjee said
It is pertinent to note that Mamata Banerjee’s statement comes after the state witnessed sporadic instances of violence, during a 12-hour lockdown in Bengal, following the Kolkata rape and murder incident on Wednesday.
Speaking at the founding ceremony of the student wing of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Banerjee said, “Some people think this (agitation) is similar to the protests in Bangladesh. I love Bangladesh; they speak like us (Bengalis). Our culture is also the same. However, Bangladesh is a different country.”
Banerjee was referring to the recent student protests in Bangladesh that led to the ouster of then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, adding: “Prime Minister Modi, you are trying to create unrest in Bengal through your people. But remember if you burn Bengal, Assam, the Northeast, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Delhi will also burn.”
Banerjee further said her slogan ‘badla noy, badal chai’ (no revenge, just change) needed to be updated to reflect the changing times and situations.
Meanwhile, during a protest organised by the BJP on Wednesday, several incidents of violence and widespread disruption of services were reported in West Bengal. The most serious clash took place at Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas district, where BJP leaders claimed that TMC supporters had fired at the car of a local BJP leader, Priyangu Pandey. While they said Pandey escaped unhurt in the incident, his driver and a party worker were injured and hospitalised.
Notably, several important services in the state remained affected throughout the day, while authorities continued to detain BJP leaders, including former MPs Roopa Ganguly and Locket Chatterjee, Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya and lawmaker Agnimitra Paul, for trying to enforce the strike. In Kolkata, the shutdown had a mixed impact: public transport was curtailed and many private vehicles were kept off the roads. Markets and shops largely remained open, but schools and offices saw lower attendance.
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