KOLKATA: Asserting that Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee is a “symbol of honesty”, senior party leader Firhad Hakim on Sunday said she cannot be blamed for any wrongdoing by an individual.
“Mamata Banerjee is the symbol of honesty If any person has done something wrong, then it is his fault and not of Mamata Banerjee,” he said, adding that Banerjee has the lowest assets among all chief ministers in the country and is an example of how one can live a simple life despite being at the helm of a state.
Strongly denying accusations against the TMC over cattle smuggling and illegal immigration, Hakim claimed that it is the BSF, which is under the Union Home Ministry, that mans the international borders with Bangladesh.
Hakim alleged that Union Home minister Amit Shah is responsible if cows are being smuggled to Bangladesh from right under the nose of the BSF.
Without naming Birbhum district president of TMC Anubrata Mondal, Hakim said: “Our leader here is behind bars in connection with the cattle smuggling case, while cows come from Yogi Adityanath-ruled Uttar Pradesh and go to Bangladesh illegally through the international borders which are under the supervision of the BSF.”
Rebutting the allegations levelled by Shah during his Birbhum public meeting, TMC on Sunday held a counter meeting where the BJP leader was accused of harassing Trinamool Congress leaders using Central probe agencies in a bid to grab power in the state.
Hakim, who was made the unofficial observer for Birbhum district by party chief Mamata Banerjee, said that Anubrata Mondal has been detained wrongfully.
Further, commenting on Shah’s allegation that TMC is allowing the ‘ghuspetias’ (infiltrators) in this state, Hakim said that there are no infiltrators from Bangladesh living in this state. He said: “The people from Bangladesh who are residing here have been doing so for decades. These people are not infiltrators but are Indian citizens. If indeed infiltrators are crossing over into the North 24-Parganas district, then what is the BSF doing? It is the Central Force that is responsible for curbing infiltration at the borders.”
Replying to Shah’s allegation of Ram Navami rallies being attacked in Bengal, Hakim said that about 1,300 rallies were brought out in Bengal on that day but violence broke out in Howrah and Hooghly only. “It is clear that the RSS and other BJP-affiliated organisations caused the breach of peace in these places with provocations. Mamata Banerjee-led state government ensured that law and order is maintained and which is why no bullets were fired. The BJP also caused violence in other states during Ram Navami such as Delhi, Odisha, and Maharashtra, among others,” Hakim alleged.
Hakim said that despite Amit Shah’s high hopes of gaining 35 seats from Bengal in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the saffron brigade will not get a single seat from this state.
Also, keeping the upcoming Panchayat polls in mind, Hakim asked people to have faith in Mamata Banerjee to ensure Bengal remains in safe hands.