New Delhi, May 16 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday supported the registration of an FIR against Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, saying the language he used during the West Bengal poll campaign was that of a “goon”. However, the Trinamool Congress termed it BJP’s “political vendetta”.

The FIR was lodged against Abhishek Banerjee over his alleged aggressive remarks while campaigning.

Reacting to the FIR filed against the Trinamool Congress General Secretary, BJP National Spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said: “The kind of language Abhishek Banerjee used is something that has no place in a democracy. It wasn’t the language of a leader, but rather that of a goon.”

BJP leader Shazia Ilmi said that giving such “provocative and poisonous” speeches is not a secular privilege or position.

“Democracy is based on debate, not on threats, fear and intimidation,” she told IANS.

Ilmi added: “Selective secularism on hate speech won’t work in Bengal.”

She alleged that the Trinamool Congress’ politics is based on extreme appeasement, polarisation, and speading fear among the public.

“Abhishek Banerjee will learn a lesson with the FIR,” she asserted.

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal echoed that the kind of language that the Trinamool MP was using was “ill-mannered”.

“If we step out of the circle of civilisation and do anything, then the law will do its work,” he told IANS.

BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that Abhishek Banerjee has given hateful statements of “killing and beheading”.

He said: “At times he (Abhishek Banerjee) has given statements challenging the Constitutional institutions.”

“If someone has given an incitement statement, and if someone has filed a complaint against him (Abhishek Banerjee), then he will have to go and explain in the court, because we have seen how Trinamool has institutionalised political violence,” Poonawalla added.

He also alleged: “Political violence is in Trinamool’s DNA, whoever promotes such things will have to be legally answerable.”

However, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy called the FIR, a “political vendetta by the BJP”.

“It’s a political FIR. He (Abhishek Banerjee) made a statement during Bengal election campaign about BJP’s promises, etc. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah made so many statements in Bengal. We have not lodged complaints against their speeches because things are said during the heat of the election campaign,” he said.

Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly and Trinamool Congress leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay called the FIR registration “bogus”.

“The Constitution grants us the right to speech. Whatever Abhishek (Banerjee) said was in the framework of the Constitution,” he asserted.

Moreover, Chattopadhyay alleged: “It is a planned effort to crush Abhishek Banerjee and Mamata Banerjee and all the leaders of the Trinamool Congress.”

–IANS

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