The Bengal BJP leaders on Thursday demanded measures to take red beacon off Maulana Nurur Rehman Barkati’s vehicle. Barkati is the Shahi Imam of Tipu Sultan Mosque in Kolkata.
Asking the State administration to do the needful in the wake of new motor vehicles laws enacted by the Centre actress-turned-State BJP leader locket Chatterjee said, “It is imperative that Barkati Babu gets his red beacon removed off his vehicle” for the other motor vehicle laws to be enforced on citizens.
Chatterjee was speaking on a bailable case being slapped on her and State BJP president Dilip Ghosh for riding a motor bike sans helmets past a street at Raiganj. The duo was leading a bike-rally in the North Bengal town where municipal polls are scheduled to be held on May 14.
Seven municipalities including Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Mirik, Raiganj, Domkal and Pujali will go to poll on the said day.
“We have no problem in paying fine for breaking laws in terms of riding bike without helmet. But then before that the Government must make it sure that law is enforced equally and without bias on all the citizens. It must implement the motor vehicle laws by first removing the red beacon off Barkati Babe’s vehicle,” she said.
The Shahi Imam had earlier refused to shun the red beacon saying “the red light was given by the British Government and so the Barindra Mode Government has no right to take it away. I will not remove it, come what may.”
Meanwhile in an unrelated development Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee upped the ante against the BJP for “trying to communalise Bengal,” and vouched for the State’s secular culture which she said would discard the communal forces.
Addressing a religious gathering on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, Banerjee said “the BJP is trying to polarize the State along communal lines but Bengal is not like UP and will never capitulate before its communal designs. The people of Bengal will resist any such nefarious attempt by the BJP.”
Elsewhere at Domkal in Murshidabad district alleged Trinamool Congress supporters damaged the vehicles of CPI(M) MP Badruddoza Khan and local a MlA. The TMC however denied such allegations.