Mumbai, June 1 (IANS) The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Monday demanded that the President’s rule be imposed in West Bengal, where opposition MPs were being attacked.

The party claimed in an editorial in its mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’ that the assault allegedly launched by BJP workers on Trinamool Congress National General Secretary and sitting MP, Abhishek Banerjee, was as “cowardly as it was brutal”, and the shocking incidents that unfolded in Kolkata over the past two days have dealt a massive blow not only to the reputation of West Bengal but to the prestige of the entire country.

West Bengal, which has long been considered one of India’s most civilised states, has transformed into a symbol of violence, hatred, and mobocracy, it said.

The Saamana editorial argued that while the BJP secured power in West Bengal during the Assembly elections, it is evident that instead of utilising this mandate for public welfare, they are “using it to scratch a persistent itch for political vendetta”.

“Had such attacks on MPs occurred during Mamata Banerjee’s tenure, the Governor would have immediately recommended the imposition of President’s Rule to the Centre,” it commented.

“The current picture of Bengal is terrifying. Stones were hurled directly at Abhishek Banerjee’s head; he survived only because he was wearing a helmet. A similar fate befell MP Kalyan Banerjee. Abhishek Banerjee stated that the attack was pre-planned and a deliberate plot to assassinate him. However, BJP State President Samik Bhattacharya characteristically shrugged off any responsibility, claiming the BJP has no connection to these events and labelling it as “public outrage. Bhattacharya called this public anger,” said the editorial.

The editorial further said that this raises a question: “Has the BJP handed out a license to Kolkata’s goons to assassinate opposition MPs? Mamata Banerjee served as Chief Minister for fifteen years, and the people of Bengal showered immense love upon her, often calling her the ‘tiger cub who fights on the streets’.”

“The narrative that the public suddenly became so enamoured with the BJP that they turned around to assault Mamata’s MPs out of anger is entirely unbelievable. This is orchestrated, systemic goonism. The BJP either wants to split Mamata’s party or permanently establish a regime of thugs over Bengal,” it alleged.

The Thackeray camp stated that the BJP used to claim that during Mamata’s regime, Bangladeshi infiltrators ruined West Bengal’s culture and perpetuated criminal behaviour. “Who, then, are these individuals spearheading this horrific violence under the current BJP rule? The place of Bangladeshi infiltrators has merely been taken over by tilak-sporting goons. If anyone labels this a ‘regime change’, they are committing a betrayal against the Indian Constitution,” it remarked.

According to the editorial, the two Trinamool Congress MPs were explicitly targeted in assassination attempts. “Shockingly, neither West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari nor Governor Ravi have broken their silence on the matter. This silence indicates that these murderous assaults are state-sponsored, executed well within the protective framework of the current establishment. The state government is granting absolute impunity to criminals with the explicit goal of eliminating opposition representatives.”

“A wave of ‘Neo-Hindutva’ is surging across West Bengal under the guise of public anger. This prompts a final, critical question. When exam papers are leaked continuously, fuel prices skyrocket, the government lies daily, and inflation inflicts untold misery on everyday life, why is the public not furious about those issues? Why have they instead become so helplessly infatuated with the BJP?” asked the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena in the editorial.

The Thackeray camp said that the ruling establishment must explain why actual public rage has undergone a complete “circumcision” here when it comes to real economic distress, only to be manufactured into political violence.

–IANS

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