Fresh war of words ensued between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP with the former slamming Bengal Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari for "making communal statements," after he alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was trying to drive Hindus away from certain parts of Kolkata in order to pursue her votebank politics.
"The whole world knows how BJP introduced communalism in India... They are a party which is trying to divide Bengal on the line of communal politics... They tried to do so in the last year's Assembly elections but suffered a humiliating defeat ... Now they are trying to ignite communal disturbances by taking advantage of some stray incidents," party leader Kunal Ghosh said. His comments came hours after Adhikari alleged that the CM was planning to drive away the Hindus from Mominpur, Khidderpore and Iqbalpur areas.
Days after clashes broke out between two communities at Mominpur-Iqbalpur area when several houses and other properties were vandalised Adhikari alleged police inaction saying "Mamata wants to remove the Hindus from Mominpur, Iqbalpur and Khidderpore because they vote for the BJP ... This is why no action is being taken on the miscreants who destroyed their properties."
This was a part of Banerjee's votebank politics where she appeased a particular community at the cost of the other, he said.The TMC leadership hit back saying, "Adhikari has been a powerful TMC minister and a leader since 2007 till 2021 when he joined the BJP to save ED, CBI glare ... Does it mean that he had been pursuing the same policy of minority appeasement."
Meanwhile, in a related development Mamata warned the BJP Government against using the agencies against the Opposition leaders saying, "You will not be in power for ever ... Today you are using the agencies against your opponents ...”