Kolkata: Furious over the Election Commission’s order to cut shot the campaign period for the last phase of the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal and action against two key bureuacrats, Trinamul supremo Mamata Banerjee described the move as “politically biased”.
Hitting out at the PM, Ms Banerjee reasoned: “We lodged a complaint with videos as evidence. But we are now at the receiving end. I do not think the decision was taken by the EC. It is a BJP decision taken by Mr Modi and Mr Shah. Mr Modi had campaigned here today. Has he regretted the violence? No. Those who vandalise do not regret.”
Earlier, she warned the BJP the saffron party would not succeed in grabbing the state by “killing” greats like Vidyasagar and Rabindranath Tagore, before she led a protest rally in the city in the afternoon. At a poll meeting at Agarpara in North 24 Parganas, the Trinamul chief claimed: “It is a pre-planned conspiracy. But that gentleman is so shameless that he claimed at a meeting of not vandalising the bust. Should we show who did it? I have the videos which cannot be shown at length.”
Ms Banerjee alleged: “Goons were brought here from outside. Would not the people know Vidyasagar if they were from Bengal? Would not someone know Rabindranth Tagore or Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose if he is from Bengal? Hired goons forcibly entered Vidyasagar College and Calcutta University.”
She added: “They beat the students and went on the rampage, when Vidyasagar’s bust was vandalised. I have the documentation which has revealed that the bust was thrown away. Now they are making tall talk against Trinamul. Where was Trinamul there? No one from our party was present.”
West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi said: “As chancellor of Calcutta University, I am greatly pained at the vandalising of the Vidyasagar statue. The real culprit behind breaking the statue must be traced and suitably punished. Efforts should also be made by Calcutta University at the earliest to instal a new statue at the same place.”
