Abdur Rahim Bakshi, district president of Trinamool Congress (TMC), who previously stirred controversy with his threatening comments against leaders and workers of opposition parties in the state, has once again made an incendiary comment against the BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh.
Bakshi, who had made headlines for threatening to cut off the hands and feet of leaders and workers of the BJP, CPI(M) and Congress, has now threatened to pour acid into the mouth of a BJP MLA.
Bakshi made this comment during a protest rally on Saturday, which was organised against "atrocities against Bengali-speaking migrant workers" in other Indian states.
Bakshi criticised a BJP lawmaker, Shankar Ghosh, without directly naming him. Referencing Ghosh's previous assembly remarks that labelled Bengali migrant workers as "Rohingyas" or "Bangladeshis," Bakshi stated,"The person who brazenly claims that Bengal's 30 lakh migrant workers employed elsewhere aren't Bengali... calling them Rohingyas and Bangladeshis. He proclaimed this loudly. I declared then and repeat now -- if I hear such words from you again, I will destroy your ability to speak by pouring acid into your mouth. Remember, this is West Bengal. We Bengalis won't allow you a platform here. I will disfigure your face with acid."
The TMC leader also asked people to "tear down BJP flags" and to socially boycott the saffron party in the district.
Bakshi's remarks were met with condemnation from the BJP, which accused the TMC of fostering a culture of intimidation and violence.
Khagen Murmu, the BJP parliamentarian representing Malda Uttar, characterised these threats as signs of the governing party's panic before upcoming state elections.
"This represents Trinamool Congress's typical approach. They specialise in terrorising citizens. These kinds of declarations are now commonplace in Malda. The TMC district chief frequently makes such remarks to grab media attention. They're being driven by anxiety that Trinamool will face defeat in the forthcoming assembly elections," Murmu commented.
The BJP has organised demonstrations in Malda, with Murmu spearheading a dharna to protest what he claimed were fabricated police charges against BJP members.
His recent comments emerge even after continuous advisories from TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, who has openly warned party members against employing offensive or provocative rhetoric. During a recent evaluation session to gauge readiness for the approaching state assembly polls, Banerjee had emphasised to leaders that reckless statements could harm the party's reputation.
