TMC to combat BJP's attempt to fan unrest

The Trinamool Congress will launch massive awareness campaign throughout the state against the BJP's "nasty moves" to create communal tension in different areas and thus divide Bengal, Partha Chatterjee, party's secretary general said on Sunday.

Chatterjee said the BJP is trying to create communal tension in areas across the state through false and distorted news items that have been uploaded in a planned manner on social media to incite violence deliberately. It may be recalled that during a press conference on Saturday, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had sarcastically referred to Facebook as "Fakebook". In the administrative review meetings held in the districts recently, Banerjee had requested the students of different universities who were present in those meetings to raise their voice on social media to counter false stories that are being uploaded.

Chatterjee said a few BJP leaders are giving speeches to incite people and create trouble after acquiring full support from the Centre. He reiterated the allegations made by Mamata Banerjee against the BJP that criminals from neighbouring countries have been engaged to create trouble in Basirhat.

Chatterjee emphasised that party leaders and workers have been instructed to organise meetings in every block and area to expose BJP's role to divide Bengal. "After getting blessings from the party's Central leadership, a few leaders are trying to divide Bengal. But we are not going to keep quiet any more. We will go to the masses and tell them how the BJP is trying to create trouble in Bengal and weaken the federal structure in India." He added that the party leaders have been asked to remain active on social media to counter BJP's false and calculated campaigns. It may be mentioned that the BJP has recently uploaded two photos on social media, one from an incident that took place in Kumillah in Bangladesh and another from a Bhojpuri film.

Meanwhile, Subrata Mukherjee at a meeting held in the city alleged that the BJP is trying to stall development work carried out by Mamata Banerjee in the Hills. "Trinamool Congress did very well in the elections in the civic bodies held in the Hills. The schemes taken up by the state government have helped the people to become self-reliant. To stall development and malign Mamata Banerjee's government, the BJP is backing the parties in the Hills," he alleged.

TMC is holding meetings all over the state on July 21 to observe Martyrs' Day. The Chief Minister is likely to give a guideline for the party workers and leaders to counter communalism and carry out development work in the rural areas as the Panchayat elections will be held in 2018.