The Bharatiya Janata Party leadership from West Bengal has drawn sharp criticism for inciting the public to attack the police and ensured them that “nothing will happen” if they did so.
Kalosona Mondal, BJP leader from Birbhum district in West Bengal, told the public that the BJP party’s prime opponent is not the Trinamool Congress but the police force in the state.
“There is nothing to expect from the police of this district. If you show them weapons, then only they will listen to us. Don’t hit the TMC people. If you hit them, there will be a case, and they are not our competitors, the police are. Hit the police; nothing will happen,” he added.
Adding fuel to the fire, Locket Chatterjee (C), West Bengal BJP Mahila Morcha President, asked her women supporters to resort to violence against police if and when required. She urged, “If we depend on the administration, we won’t be able to do anything in our future. A few incidents that have occurred in the past few days, the police have taken no steps for that. That’s why I am requesting the women to equip themselves with arms to protect themselves.”
The irony is that these shocking statements were made in front of police officers, in broad daylight.
On Wednesday, 8 January, Dilip Ghosh, West Bengal BJP unit chief, publically stated that the communists “deserve” to be beaten up, adding that NRC will be implemented in Bengal.
“It has now come to light that the JNU incident is staged,” Ghosh told media persons.
He further added, “One person was allegedly hit on the head,” he said. “It is still to be tested whether it is blood or some colour on her head.”
On Monday, 6th Jan he made the statement that “It is right that communists have started getting beaten up in the country. Perhaps they deserve it. The way they have behaved through the decades, this is not unnatural”.
It remains to be seen whether the West Bengal state police force and Bharatiya Janata Party state leadership will take action against the concerned BJP leaders for inciting violence against the police and communists.