BJP slams TMC's move to meet President, alleges evidence tampering

BJP leaders in West Bengal slammed the TMC for seeking the Governor's help after an attack on Abhishek Banerjee's office, calling it ironic. The BJP alleged the incident was orchestrated by TMC to destroy evidence, a claim the TMC denies.

BJP slams TMC, calls move 'ironic'

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in West Bengal on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) after the ruling party sought urgent appointments with the President of India and the West Bengal Governor over a recent attack on Abhishek Banerjee's office. Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar pointed out the irony in the TMC’s move, recalling how the party used to mock the BJP for approaching the Governor in the past. "Back when we were in the opposition, we faced intense attacks from the Trinamool Congress. We used to approach the Governor then, and we were mocked for it. At that time, the Governor's office, or the Governor himself, was ridiculed. Today, it is the Trinamool Congress itself that is approaching the Governor," Majumdar told reporters.

The reaction comes amid a political face-off in the state following a recent incident involving the alleged theft of documents and attacks. Levelling serious allegations against TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, BJP MP Rahul Sinha claimed that the move to meet the President was an attempt to divert attention from "orchestrated" evidence tampering. "Abhishek Banerjee stole the file and papers to destroy evidence. It was done at his behest. He sought an appointment with the President to divert attention from the situation. However, this matter will be investigated by the police... then you will see that Abhishek Banerjee himself orchestrated this theft to destroy evidence," Sinha alleged.

BJP State General Secretary Locket Chatterjee dismissed allegations of BJP involvement, attributing the incident to TMC’s internal infighting. “I do not believe that any Bharatiya Janata Party worker is involved in this incident. The party (TMC) has become fragmented. It is their own people who are attacking them. Trinamool is finished, and now they are merely trying to garner sympathy," Chatterjee said.

TMC seeks President's intervention

Earlier today, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has written to the President Droupadi Murmu and the West Bengal Governor RN Ravi, seeking urgent appointments for a party delegation to discuss what it described as the "disturbing and systematic misuse" of the police and the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the state following an alleged attack on its Camac Street office.

Speaking to reporters, TMC MP Derek O'Brien said the letters were sent on Thursday morning and sought separate meetings with the President in Delhi and the West Bengal Governor in Kolkata. "In this situation, we've written to the President of India, and the Trinamool Congress has written to the Governor of West Bengal President and the Governor seeking an urgent appointment of a Trinamool Congress delegation to discuss the disturbing situation in Bengal," O'Brien said.

The TMC leader alleged that the situation had deteriorated over the past four months, with party workers being targeted and offices allegedly vandalised. "What happened this morning was open lawlessness. Look at the video footage from 4:30 in the morning. For 4 months, this has gone from bad to worse. TMC workers are being targeted by the police across the state. Party offices are being vandalised," he said.

He further accused the police of acting outside established rules and alleged political bias in their functioning. "Police are following no rules. Police are acting as open... as BJP cadres. There is utter lawlessness here," he alleged.

The remarks came after TMC national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee alleged that BJP workers armed with weapons stormed the party's Camac Street office in Kolkata in the early hours of Thursday and vandalised the premises, assaulted staff and damaged electronic equipment. Banerjee alleged that Kolkata Police failed to respond for nearly two hours despite repeated calls and emails from party workers and lawyers. He described the incident as an "open defiance of the rule of law" and demanded the arrest of those responsible. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)