West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday called the Delhi violence “a planned genocide” that was later given the name of “riots”. Over 40 persons have died in the violence that continued for four days from last Sunday, and over 200 persons were left injured.
At a meeting in Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor stadium with Trinamool Congress councillors and senior leaders of her party ahead of the municipal polls, Banerjee said that she was condemning the violence in Delhi and her heart was bleeding at the loss of lives. She and her party workers maintained silence for a minute in respect of the deceased. She also announced her decision to raise funds from among party workers for those affected in the Delhi violence.
Banerjee said that it is “genocide” because it is “state sponsored”. “They have taken the Gujarat model to Delhi,” she said, referring to the Gujarat riots of 2002 without mentioning it. “You have seen what happened in Uttar Pradesh – over 20 people have died while protesting the Citizenship Amendment Act. If they get away with this sort of killing where they are ruling, they will follow this everywhere in the country, so be warned,” Banerjee said.
Significantly, Banerjee’s comments come a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s rally in Kolkata in which he had said that Banerjee was responsible for “triggering riots” and “burning trains in a bid to oppose the CAA. Amit Shah had said this the Kolkata prior to which some Bharatiya Janata Party supporters were spotted raising “goli maaro” (shoot them) slogans. Banerjee today criticised the comments and said action will be taken in such cases “as this is not Delhi”. Three persons have already been arrested in this connection.
She said that many people had told her that the Delhi violence was a planned killing that had been given the name of riots. “Four more bodies have been found,” she said, adding that “more bodies are being found every day”. “How can such violence take place and the BJP not even say sorry? How is it possible?” she asked, adding, “I am hearing 700 people are missing in Delhi.” She said that 300-400 people have already died protesting the CAA in the country.
She said that the BJP winning a state government meant torture for people and riots, which was evident in Delhi, Assam, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh among others. She also demanded an independent inquiry into the UP violence by a Supreme Court judge.
Banerjee referred to Shah’s rally yesterday and without naming him said: “Instead of apologising for the Delhi violence, it was shamelessly said yesterday that they would rule Bengal.” Shah had, significantly, avoided mentioning the Delhi violence at the rally yesterday and mentioned that the dreams of “Sonar Bangla” could be achieved if BJP comes to power. He also appealed to the refugees to not get “confused” by what the Opposition parties in the country were saying on CAA.
Banerjee today added that refugees in Bengal were being targeted and insulted by the Union Home Minister. “All the refugees are already citizens. Why are you taking away their rights?” she asked.
BJP is trying to take the country towards Presidential rule and then towards autocracy and in order to fight them, sharp focus and fearlessness is required, she said while giving her party workers some pep talk and asking them to be more enthusiastic in fighting the BJP in the days ahead. “Let 2021 Assembly elections in Bengal prepare to oust the BJP from the country,” Banerjee told her party leaders.
The Trinamool Congress chief also targeted the Congress and CPIM and said that they had helped the BJP win so many seats in the Lok Sabha polls from Bengal. “I told them [the Congress and the CPI-M] let us build up protest together. But they didn’t like it, they are not ready for it, because they want to keep the BJP in good humour,” she said. Banerjee said that CPIM and the Congress were both national parties, but “where are the protest rallies and meetings against the Delhi violence? Why are they not saying anything?” She announced a series of programmes to be taken up by her party to protest the Delhi violence.
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