Amit Shah in state with his 'baggage of lies', TMC says no place for communalism

Kolkata: The TMC leadership on Friday slammed Union Home minister Amit Shah over his "appeasement remark" and said communal politics has no place in Bengal.

In a statement, the All India Trinamool Congress said Shah is in Bengal again with a "baggage of lies" and "his mission to defame and insult Bengal continues". "But people of this state are ready to fight the battle and will accept the challenge."

The release states that his 'wild personal accusations against Mamata Banerjee' seem unabated. "What credentials Mr Jay Shah has to suddenly hold one of India's top administrative cricket posts? Or what magic formula Mr Jay Shah had to become BCCI secretary out of nowhere? And do you always misuse agency? Your track record of misusing agencies is very well-known, nationally and internationally. Your dirty tricks in politics is legendary. Everywhere you go you do your petty politics."

It further maintained: "As far as your pronouncement of getting 200 seats in Bengal, people have seen how your predictions are! In the previous elections of Bihar in 2015, Delhi in 2015 & 2020."

It added that Shah's predictions had gone wrong in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. "People will see it again in Bengal in 2021. Be rest assured Bengal has and will always stand up to protect India's soul," the release stated.

Mocking Shah's scheduled visit to a Matua family for lunch, the party described his refugee community outreach as a "poll gimmick" to divert attention from atrocities committed on backward communities in states ruled by the saffron party.

Stressing that there was a need to restore Bengal's 'lost glory', Shah on Friday, during his visit to the Dakshineswar temple here, said the present "appeasement politics" in the state has hurt its age-old tradition of upholding the nation's spiritual consciousness.

Shah, who is on a two-day visit to Bengal to take stock of organisational activities, ahead of the 2021 state polls, had on Thursday said he could sense massive public anger against the Mamata Banerjee government and that the death knell of her regime has been sounded.

On Shah's having lunch with a tribal family, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee tweeted: "Reality behind @AmitShah Ji's token meals — he used ST Community & the concerned family as political tool & didn't even bother to speak to them for a moment. Mr Home Minister, did you come here only for a photo-op? #BengalAsksAmitShah".

The people here will support Mamata Banerjee for the third time in 2021 Assembly elections and foil BJP's attempts to import violence from the cow belt and disturb this peace-loving state, said Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, chief whip of Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha, on Friday.

"What does Amit Shah mean by appeasement politics? Was he speaking as a BJP activist or as the Union Home Minister of the country? The government has to treat all communities with equality and respect. I don't think it is a crime to do something for the development of minorities in the state," senior TMC leader and MP Saugata Roy said.

He sought to know why Shah ignored the fact that the Bengal government had allowed Durga Puja celebrations, even when many BJP-ruled states cancelled it.

"Why is he not speaking about the state government's decision to allow Durga Puja celebrations? Was it minority appeasement? I would want to say that communalism has no place in West Bengal. The people of the state will reject BJP's divisive politics," he added.

Echoing him, state minister Firhad Hakim, too, took a jibe at Shah over his scheduled lunch at a Matua family's residence and said it was a desperate attempt to fool people.

"In all BJP-ruled states, tribals, Dalits and those from the backward communities are being tortured. There are reports of atrocities everywhere.

"So this drama of having lunch at the house of a person from the Matua community is nothing but a poll gimmick before the Assembly elections. But he can't fool people every time and the Matuas are very well aware of the BJP's double standards," Hakim said.