Kolkata, Jun 10 : The Trinamool Congress Monday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah alleging that the MHA advisory to the West Bengal government is a “deep-rooted conspiracy” by the BJP and an “evil ploy to grab power” in opposition-ruled states.
The BJP, however, termed the allegations baseless and claimed that the law-and-order situation in the state has completely broken down.
TMC secretary general and West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, in a letter, claimed that the Ministry of Home Affairs has drawn conclusions without verifying the ground reality or taking a report from the state government.
“We, on behalf of the Trinamool Congress, lodge our strong objection to the advisory issued by the MHA and urge that the same be withdrawn forthwith,” he said.
In the advisory sent to the West Bengal government on Sunday, a day after BJP and TMC workers clashed in Sandeshkhali area of North Parganas district, the MHA had expressed “deep concern” over the continuing post-poll violence in the state, and asked it to maintain law and order.
Criticising the advisory, Chatterjee said, “We have reason to believe that it is an evil ploy to grab power in states run by parties politically opposed to the BJP.”
“Moreover, this is a deep-rooted conspiracy and game plan to malign the state government and capture the Bengal administration through undemocratic, unethical and unconstitutional means.”
Blaming “BJP goons” for violence and chaos across the state, the TMC leader alleged that as the MHA and the saffron party are being headed by the same person, it is “quite obvious” that “whatever the BJP desires, the MHA is implementing it with closed eyes, throwing all constitutional propriety to the wind”.
“In a democracy, the Centre and states work in tandem. Instead of taking the state government into confidence and verifying the ground situation, the unilateral issuance of an advisory by the MHA is an insult to the people of Bengal and an assault on the glory, culture, and heritage of the state,” Chatterjee said.
Reacting to the TMC allegation, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said the MHA was absolutely right in sending the advisory.
“The law-and-order situation has completely broken down… The MHA has done the right thing. If the TMC is saying that the Union home minister and the BJP president are the same person, then the same rule applies in Bengal as well.
“The chief minister, home minister and party supremo are the same person (in Bengal). So, does that mean all the decisions taken by the state government are politically motivated?” Ghosh said.
Senior BJP leader Mukul Roy also accused the state government of not cooperating with the Centre and violating the federal structure.
On Sunday night, the West Bengal government sent a letter to the MHA, saying that the situation in the state was “under control”, and there was no failure on the part of its law enforcement agencies.
The BJP has claimed that five of its workers were killed in the violence in Sandeshkhali, while the ruling TMC said that one was killed.
