In an apparent urgency to keep its cadres’ morale high against the growing saffron impact a twitchy Trinamool Congress leadership on
Sunday sought to throw away reports that the BJP was planning to depute 40 senior national leaders under the leadership of Home Minister Rajnath Singh to organise programmes in Bengal between April 6 and 14.
The first such programme was likely to be held at Hazra Crossing near Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s house where Singh would deliver a speech, sources said.
That the Bengal ruling party was not taking the possible “saffron invasion” lightly was underscored by speeches of senior Trinamool leaders including Chief Minister’s nephew and MP Abhishek Banerjee and party general secretary Partho Chatterjee who alleged a “joint conspiracy” by BJP, left and Congress “to uproot a people’s Government from Bengal” but warned them against “poking at a sleeping tiger.”
A day after Banerjee issued a whip in party core committee meeting to take BJP seriously and strengthen the party’s grassroots connect Abhishek told a rally at Diamond Harbour how “dangerous” was the “communal menace” for Bengal.
“BJP has joined hands with the CPI(M) and Congress to conspire against the Trinamool Congress,” the junior Banerjee thundered and parroted her aunt saying how “the BJP is threatening us with the use of CBI, ED, and Income-Tax.”
But he warned “if you dare touch us we will invade Delhi because messing with the Trinamool Congress is like messing with a sleeping tiger. If it feels hurt it will then destroy you through all political means,” he said adding how BJP was using communal tools to destabilise Bengal.
Partho Chatterjee who had earlier wondered, “whether it is the 40 leaders or 40 BJP leaders who are coming to Bengal” said “BJP will not be allowed to sink its teeth in this State. We will adequately take care of them as people of Bengal are with Mamata Banerjee.”
BJP is planning to send 40 leaders led by the likes of Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and Smriti Irani to address a plethora of party programmes aimed at the coming panchayat polls and 2019 General elections. While Irani will address North Kolkata, Singh is likely to hold meeting in South Kolkata.
Meanwhile, a plan by the RSS-VHP to hold grand processions during the Ramnavmi in Bengal tended keep the administration bothered sources said. This particularly after Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh’s reported claims that he would march in a rally armed with swords and tridents.
“Who are the police to give us permission on what norms we should follow in observing our religious festivals” the BJP leaders have asked.
In an effort to “strengthen its organization in Bengal” and to give shape to the resolution it took in Coimbatore Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha meeting the “RSS has decided to hold a grand celebration of Ram Navami in Bengal,” a functionary of the organisation said adding the move would be the first step to take on the fundamentalists.”