Mamata Banerjee alleges that the BJP is attempting to employ tactics similar to those used in Manipur to divide Bengal for their advantage in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
During a session in the Assembly, Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of attempting to sow communal discord in Bengal for electoral gains, similar to the way they had orchestrated conflicts in Manipur. She claimed that the BJP’s main agenda was to divide society along caste and religious lines to gain an advantage in the upcoming elections. Referring to the communal riots in Manipur, the Chief Minister urged BJP MPs and MLAs to request the Prime Minister’s visit to the troubled state.
Mamata highlighted that the BJP’s Hindutva agenda had turned Manipur into a battleground and warned that they might use a similar strategy in Bengal. She alleged that the Bengal unit of the BJP had received instructions from the party’s central leadership, including the RSS, during a recent meeting in Delhi to pursue a divisive agenda.
Reportedly, state BJP leaders had meetings with RSS leaders and other national figures, where they were advised to emphasize crimes against women, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes in Bengal to gain sympathy. The Chief Minister claimed that the BJP had pre-planned moves to create situations that portrayed the state government in a negative light. She also accused them of targeting various communities like the Rajbanshis, tribal population, Gorkhas, and Matuas to create ethnic divisions.
Furthermore, Mamata alleged that the BJP would attempt to exploit divisions within the Muslim community for political gains and would fund any party that could split Trinamul’s votes. She even suggested that the BJP might support parties primarily supported by minorities.
In response to Mamata’s allegations, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari refuted the politics of division and stated that the party believed in uniting people. He questioned how Mamata could know the details of the meeting with RSS leaders, implying that she wasn’t present there.