Nabanna ‘Abhijan’ is BJP’s ‘covert political involvement’ to create unrest, says TMC

Kolkata: Holding BJP responsible for indulging in “political vulturism” and amplifying unrest by its “covert political involvement” in ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ (Nabanna march) on Tuesday called by ‘Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj’, apparently an apolitical students’ outfit, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday, termed the march as “illegal and an attempt to incite widespread unrest”.

TMC showed two viral videos on social media where two men purportedly claimed that “gunshots will be fired” and “dead bodies must fall for political momentum” during the march.

State police also denounced the march as “illegal” and “politically motivated”. Additional Director General of Police (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar claimed that a student leader involved in organising the protest met a prominent political figure at a five-star hotel in Kolkata on Sunday. He also expressed doubts on the existence of organisers. The police also stated that no permission to hold the rally was taken.

TMC alleged that the BJP has resorted to the politics of “dead bodies” under the “camouflage of justice”. Senior TMC leader Chandrima Bhattacharya described the proposed Nabanna march demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the alleged rape-murder of a post-graduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital as an attempt to incite widespread unrest in Kolkata. During a press conference, Bhattacharya claimed that the rally was called without police permission.

TMC leaders Kunal Ghosh and Joyprakash Majumdar emphasised that the investigation into the alleged rape and murder of the junior doctor was transferred to the CBI and dismissed the call for the CM’s resignation as “politically motivated”.

Bhattacharya said: “The call for this march was given on social media by Chhatra Samaj and they did not inform the police about their plans. We all want justice for the victim and exemplary punishment for the perpetrators.”

Trinamool’s claim gathered momentum after two videos went viral. In the videos, two men at two different locations were seen and heard talking about how there is a need to incite violence during the march or else the whole demonstration would turn futile. Both of them have reportedly been identified as BJP leaders who were arrested by West Midnapore Police. They have reportedly been identified as Bablu Ganguly and Soumen Chatterjee. Another BJP leader identified as Biplab Mal who was seen in the other footage was also arrested. However, Millennium Post has not verified the video footage.

“It is not meant to be a peaceful demonstration. It will create momentum. Gunshots will be fired. Rubber bullets will be fired,” a man wearing an orange t-shirt said in the first video. He was stated to be a BJP leader.

“The protestors will incite them to fire rubber bullets. There is a huge political conspiracy behind it. Let’s wait and watch how things unfold,” the man who intervenes was heard saying. “You can’t do politics...if there are no casualties, it will all be futile. We are confident there will be casualties on August 27,” the man added.

“It will not be a peaceful march. Rubber bullets will be fired as the protestors may prompt the police to do that. A political conspiracy has been going on. We apprehend that bodies may fall unless there will not be a major turnaround,” the man was heard saying in the video.

Meanwhile, Kunal Ghosh questioned the rationale behind the rally’s decision to march to Nabanna, the state secretariat, instead of the CBI office where the probe is underway. Ghosh presented videos purportedly showing two persons advocating for violence to ensure the rally’s success, which he linked to right-wing groups and some leftists, including the CPI(M).

“What these people — mostly right-wing forces like RSS and ABVP as well as some leftists backed by CPI(M) — really want is clear from these videos. They want death. We have information that people from outside the state are also being brought to foment unrest during the rally. We have also learnt some people in the rally will be wearing police uniforms and fire on people to shift the blame on the police,” Ghosh said.

BJP leader Samik Bhattacharya denied any involvement of his party in the rally, asserting that if any members of the saffron party attend, it would be in their individual capacity. The BJP, he said, has no official role in organising the march.

Slamming Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari, TMC wrote on X: “@BJP4India is actively trying to turn @SuvenduWB’s threat that bullets will fly, into a reality. A video shows @BJP4India leaders plotting for ‘bodies to fall’ to gain ‘political momentum’. This is the true face of BJP – power-hungry, bloodthirsty & devoid of any conscience.”

“For months, @BJP4India has tried to pose as defenders of justice while plotting carnage behind closed doors. With the arrest of their Kharar councillor Bablu Ganguly and Soumen Chatterjee, state co-convenor of BJP’s cooperative society, the full extent of their political conspiracy is out in the open. This is BJP’s brand of politics: where human lives are disposable & bloodshed is a tool for power!” TMC claimed on its X handle.

Incidentally, ‘Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj’, during a press conference on Monday, urged the political parties not to politicise the Nabanna march. They also said that they would stage peaceful demonstrations during the march and would not indulge in violence. They said that they would peacefully go to Nabanna and shout their demand for the CM’s resignation.