BJP’s divisive politics responsible for Manipur violence: Trinamool

Kolkata: As a mark of protest against the violence in Manipur, state TMC Jai Hind Vahini on Monday carried out a protest march in the city from Hazra to Rabindra Sadan.

Several eminent personalities along with TMC MLAs participated in the walk. Senior TMC MLA Firhad Hakim said: “Manipur has been burning for three months. Many have died and several have become homeless. What came to the surface as evidence of the violence were only two videos but there are many more such incidents taking place.”

He alleged: “What is happening in Manipur is the result of BJP’s divisive politics which began from Gujarat where a rift was created between Hindus and Muslims resulting in the death of 2000 people. There too the country witnessed atrocities against women which include the attack on Bilkis Bano but the perpetrators were released from jail.” He added: “BJP is dividing communities through caste-based politics.”

Further, Hakim said that Prime Minister Modi had time to visit Bengal and Karnataka in the manner of a daily passenger so he could help his party gain electoral success but he could not find time to visit Manipur once. “He had the time to make foreign trips but had no time to visit Manipur. Instead, he sent Amit Shah to Manipur. Shah was himself involved in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case but CBI gave him a clean chit. The PM let such a person visit Manipur and made him the Union Home minister; the second-in-command.”

Hakim also lashed out at the BJP for comparing the Manipur incident, where a woman was allegedly raped and paraded naked, with an incident in Malda. BJP leaders had shared a video of two tribal women being stripped naked, tortured and beaten up in Papua Hat area of Malda.

He said: “It is a sin to compare the two. What happened in Malda was wrong. It often happens in rural parts of the state that women are mistreated by tagging them as a witch. Every such incident is condemnable. However, this cannot be used to put a lid on the Manipur incident. BJP leaders such as Anurag Thakur and one Amit Malviya constantly peddle fake videos to misguide people and divert attention. In Bengal, we worship goddesses Durga, Kali and Saraswati. We regard women as our mothers.”