KOLKATA: Mob violence in Bengal’s Murshidabad over the new waqf law was “a pre-planned communal riot” orchestrated by BJP with the help of central agencies, CM Mamata Banerjee said Wednesday, insinuating that home minister Amit Shah had a role to play in it.
Mamata also questioned what she said was an “unseemly hurry” to amend the waqf Act when the situation in neighbouring Bangladesh was still volatile.
The CM urged PM Narendra Modi to “control him”, alluding to Shah.
“They (BJP) have a lot of money; all IT networks are being used to spread fake news against Bengal. They are all Shah’s companies. I have never taken his name earlier, but if the home ministry – like Kalidas – tries to chop off the branch it sits on, I will have to talk about it,” she said. Mamata declared Shah “will never be PM” after Modi.
“What will you do after Modiji steps down? You will have to crawl. He has damaged the country the most… All agencies have been handed over to him and he is making all sorts of plans,” she alleged. According to the CM, BJP paid the “outsiders” Rs 6,000-7,000 to perpetrate violence in which three people were killed since last Friday.
“They had a similar strategy during Ram Navami but you foiled it. I salute you! Every community has its traitors: those who take money and sabotage their own people,” the CM said, speaking at an anti-waqf convention of imams at Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor Stadium.
Members of other communities, including Sanatan Hindu Trust, also attended the meeting.
Mamata pointedly questioned BSF’s role in Murshidabad violence. “It engaged in firing and action will be taken accordingly.”
“… I dare govt to explain the hurry in passing this bill. Are you unaware of the situation in Bangladesh? You hold secret meetings with Yunus and sign agreements,” she said.
