Kolkata: After the army had dismantled the stage of Trinamool Congress (TMC) protest over alleged attack on Bengali speaking migrant workers in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rule states, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday had slammed BJP for allegedly using the army as their ‘political tool’.
“Around 200 army men started running on seeing me. I said why are you running, you are my friends. It is not your fault. You did it because of the BJP and the Union Defence Minister. I am blaming the BJP and the Defence Minister. If they misuse the army to dismantle the stage and the decoration, what else can be said. On Sunday there was a programme. They could have contacted the West Bengal Police and the Kolkata CP because this was about law and order and that is a state subject. If there was any objection, we would have opened it in a minute. We do not want to disturb anyone,” said Mamata.
The West Bengal Chief Minister had also mentioned that TMC’s ‘Bhasha Andolan’ over alleged atrocity over Bengalis will be held everyday instead of just weekends.
“We will organise our programme in Rani Rashmoni Road. The BJP does their programme here without permission. Will the same rules be applied for them too? I feel this is undemocratic. I had to rush here leaving all my work. Bengalis and Bengali language are being persecuted. We have the democratic right to speak in any language. You could have told the police, but instead you took the law in your hand and dismantled the stage forcefully,” further added Mamata.
Terming BJP as ‘autocratic’, Mamata questioned whether the dismantling of the stage means that TMC cannot hold any programme in the venues under army?
“This means that at the Brigade Parade Ground and Mahatma Gandhi statue we cannot do any event because the army will not give permission? Will we not do anything at Red Road too because of no permission? What is this? Who looks after the road maintenance? Who looks after the law and order? All is done by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the Kolkata Police. We have the best of relations with our army,” stated Mamata.
Meanwhile, Assembly Speaker Biman Bandhopadhyay said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to participate in one of the discussions on the alleged incidents of attacks on Bengali-speaking migrants during a three days special Assembly session.
On the other hand, in a press statement the army said, "Indian army (Local military Authority, Kolkata) gives permission for events in the Maidan area for a duration of two days, as directed by the Hon’ble supreme court of India. Permission for events greater than 3 days need to be obtained from the MoD, Govt of India. Permission for conduct of events were provided for 2 days , however the stage has been put up for almost a month, several reminders have been sent to the organisers for removal of the temporary structure however it was not removed. Thereafter the Kolkata police was informed and the structure was being removed by the Indian Army."
