Bengal polls: Don’t take law in your hands & help BJP game plan for President rule, says CM Mamata Banerjee

KOLKATA/MALDA: Don’t take law in your hands, CM Mamata Banerjee told voters on Thursday; adding that instigating them through mass SIR deletions was a part of the BJP’s game plan to impose President’s rule in Bengal.

Banerjee, addressing backto-back public rallies in Malda’s Baishnabnagar and Murshidabad’s Sagardighi, also backed the Supreme Court’s order for a CBI or NIA probe into Wednesday’s incident, in which a mob gheraoed a team of judicial officers in Malda’s Kaliachak for over seven hours. Bengal’s law-and-order machinery was under the sole control of Election Commission now — with the Union home ministry and Raj Bhavan running it — she added, squarely blaming EC and its interference in state affairs for the situation.




“Whatever the SC has said is correct. Don’t you know that CBI and NIA probes have been ordered against protesters? This is BJP’s game plan. They do not want elections, they want President’s rule. Do you want that? Or do you want a peaceful election through which Trinamool Congress comes back to office? Don’t fall for any provocation if you trust me,” she said while addressing the Sagardighi rally. “I request you not to close all doors that lead to justice,” she added.

The anger of people whose voting rights were being taken away was genuine but violence could never be the solution, Banerjee said. “Your anger is genuine. We are taking legal help to sort out your issues. Those whose names have been deleted should apply again. The SC has said that, too. Tribunals have been set up. The SC will intervene if you still do not get justice. But what happened yesterday was a setback in our fight. This was planned. People have fallen prey to BJP’s game plan,” she said.

Was not informed of Malda unrest by new secys: Mamata

Banerjee added, “Don’t give them a chance to harm the few whose voting rights remain. Voters who remain should be protected.”

Banerjee indirectly referred to the possible role of expelled Trinamool MLA Humayun Kabir and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi (Kabir’s poll partner in Murshidabad and Malda). “Someone flew in from Hyderabad. They made you block roads and gherao judges. What was the result?” she asked, adding: “BJP has communal people. There are some communal people here as well. They have taken money from BJP. They have come here to split your votes.”

Later, addressing the second rally in Baishnabnagar, the CM claimed even Congress was a part of the “conspiracy”: “It is a conspiracy by Congress and BJP. Why are you attacking the judges?” she said, explaining: “Voters are being deleted and, simultaneously, the NIA and CBI are being used. There are traitors among you as well. Remember Battle of Plassey. Mir Jafar sold himself to the British. Traitors among you have taken money from Delhi. The neta from Hyderabad split Muslim votes in Bihar to help BJP.”

The CM also demanded “useless” Union home minister Amit Shah’s resignation at the Sagardighi rally: “He fails to protect our borders. He has destroyed our country. First, there was demonetisation. Now, they are taking away your voting rights.” The EC must take responsibility for the Malda incident, she said. “I do not have any power right now. The EC controls law and order. It failed miserably. It is not my fault. It appointed its own officials and failed to protect the judges. State officials have been transferred. The EC has snatched away my power and has imposed a super President’s Rule with the help of the union home minister and the governor,” she alleged.

Banerjee said she felt humiliated, especially since she was not informed of it till midnight. “The (EC-appointed) chief secretary failed to control the situation. I was not even informed by him or the (EC-appointed) home secretary. The chief secretary has not called me even once. I learned about the situation from a journalist at midnight. Isn’t this humiliating?” she asked.

“The EC has appointed new officials. Officials who know the state have been transferred to Kerala and Tamil Nadu. You (the EC) should focus on the election process. The new CS was appointed by you. A show-cause notice has been issued. You have appointed (new) officials. How can they know about our demography and geography so fast?” Banerjee asked.