Union minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of "triggering riots" and "burning trains" to oppose the contentious citizenship law – protests over which were at the core of this week's violence in Delhi that claimed 46 lives.
The protests by the West Bengal Chief Minister, who has been one of the staunchest critics of the law, will be of no avail, Shah said, "Mamata didi can't stop it".
"I want to ask Mamata didi -- why are you hurting the interests of our refugees?" Amit Shah said at a rally in the heart of Kolkata. "You only care about infiltrators. Refugees are being misled and scared... Hindus who fled our neighbouring countries, who were raped and threatened and killed... should they not get citizenship?" he said.
Goli Maro again…
The inflammatory chant ‘‘Goli maro…’’ (‘Shoot the traitors’) seems to have become the recurring feature of right-wing rallies.
The incendiary slogan was first raised at a public rally addressed by Union Minister and BJP leader Anurag Thakur on January 27. Thakur had allegedly egged on his audience and asked it to respond to the slogan.
On Sunday, a group carrying the BJP flag, was heard shouting ‘goli maro’ as it was on its way to the Shahid Minar ground, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a rally later in the day.
As soon as a video went viral on social media, the Kolkata Police swung in to action and initiated an investigation. "We are going through the CCTV footage of the area and trying to identify those who raised the slogans," said a senior officer of the Kolkata police. "Strict action will be taken against anybody trying to disrupt the law and order situation in the city," he added.
Shah is on a day-long visit to Kolkata.
The Left and the Congress criticised the BJP for the slogan and demanded that the Mamata Banerjee government should take strong action" against those were raising it.
"After the violence in Delhi, this slogan has now made its way to Kolkata. While no other party is being permitted to hold any meeting using microphones, an exception was made by the Mamata Banerjee government in the case of Amit Shah.
Congress MLA Manoj Chakraborty said, "The BJP is leading the country towards doom; they are raising this slogan even in Kolkata. Mamata Banerjee must see to it these people are arrested and sent to jail."
Anurag Thakur was barred from campaigning by the Election Commission for 72 hours in the run-up to the February 8 Delhi Assembly polls for his obnoxious and provocative ‘goli maro’ assertion.
