New Delhi: The bitter battle for Bengal moved to the national capital on Monday as governor Keshari Nath Tripathi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah and apprised them of the situation in the state which is in the grip of political violence after the Lok Sabha polls.
Speculation was rife in Opposition circles that the Centre might impose President’s rule in the state before the Assembly polls in 2021.
However, the governor, who met the Prime Minister and then the home minister, said that there was no discussion on imposing President’s rule.
“I have apprised the Prime Minister and the home minister about the situation in West Bengal. I can’t disclose details,” he told the media.
Mr Tripathi’s visit to the capital comes a day after the Centre issued an advisory to the West Bengal government over the relentless political violence in the state following the general elections in which the BJP managed to win 18 Lok Sabha seats. The Trinamul tally fell to 22 from 34.
Reacting to the governor’s visit, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee claimed that the BJP government at the Centre wants to turn Bengal into another Gujarat.
She also evoked Bengali pride and said that she will not allow her state’s image to be hurt.
“Who is planning to disturb the peace in Darjeeling and Jangalmahal? Is there not a conspiracy to turn West Bengal into another Gujarat. I request the Centre not to play with fire. Who came from Bangladesh to canvass for the BJP? Is infiltration only by minorities, This is a planted game,” she said in Kolkata.
“They (BJP) are spending crores and crores of money to spread fake news through different social networking websites. The Central government and (BJP) party cadres are trying to incite violence in West Bengal,” Ms Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat.
She said the Centre also had an equal responsibility as the state governments in case any violence or riot took place in any state.
“If there is any riot or violence in any state, then the Central government cannot shrug off its responsibility,” she said.
“This (inciting violence in West Bengal) is a planted game. This is their game plan to throttle my voice, because they know that Mamata Banerjee is the only person in the country to raise voice against them. This conspiracy to bring down our government will not succeed,” she said, hitting out at the Centre for sending an advisory to her government in the wake of the Sandeskhali killings.
On Sunday, in an advisory, the home ministry had expressed “deep concern” over continuing violence in West Bengal, saying the “unabated violence” even after the Lok Sabha polls appears to be a failure on part of the state government.
