June 6, 2019
Why all this post-poll violence? Victory rallies to stop now: Mamata Banerjee at Nimta
Trinamool Congress Chairperson Mamata Banerjee today visited the home of the slain party leader of North Dum Dum municipality, Nirmal Kundu, in Nimta in North 24 Parganas and consoled the family, assuring them that the culprits will be punished. The case had been handed over to the CID, she added. At the same time, she vehemently spoke against the post poll violence that was taking place and said it was high time that the victory rallies stopped.
Highlights of her comments to the media:
I have met the family members of the slain leader and both they and I want that full justice is done in the case. I offer my condolences to the family.
We have to find out who the real conspirators are behind this murder; it’s not just about who the hired killers were, but the planners behind it.
The BJP has not won the majority of seats in the Lok Sabha election; it has won 18 seats and that too through unjust and immoral means like offering money for votes.
But you cannot commit murders and instill fear in the minds of the people for whatever reason.
In 1984, when elections were held after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, Congress won 16 seats, and that was because of a spontaneous sympathy of the people. They were not won on the basis of violence and threats.
In 2009, we and the Congress together won 26 seats. Then too, it was achieved without any violence or murder.
What kind of politics is this? They are murdering people on the one hand, and on the other, spreading false news with the help of a section of Delhi-based media that it is their people who have been murdered.
I don’t believe in the politics of murder. It is their people who are murdering ours. But why does it have to be so?
I am sure that in some of the subdivisions of the State, even after winning, they are indulging in naked violence.
Bangla is the land of culture, of Rabindranath Tagore, of the birth of the national anthem, of Kazi Nazrul – who had created the slogan ‘Joy Bangla’, of Bankim Chandra – who had first used the slogan ‘Vande Mataram’.
They broke down the statue of Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, who is considered the father of education, and of women’s education, and whose efforts led to the banning of child marriage.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s efforts led to the banning of the practice of ‘sati’. There is misinformation being spread now even about this huge contribution to society.
I am ashamed to speak about what the governor of Meghalaya has said about Bangla – that the women of the State go to work as bar dancers in Mumbai. A person saying such things has no right to hold the post of governor. Despite being a governor, he is shamelessly saying things as if he is representing the BJP. I would ask the BJP leaders to hold their tongues. It is essential to rule a country properly.
Enough time has passed since the elections were held and results declared. It is high time the Central Government starts working. Our State Government has already started its work.
We have already started investigating how much money the BJP has spent and through which banks. I would request reporters to start doing the same. This election was unlike previous elections.
The BJP is continuing with violence despite winning the election in order to cover up all the nefarious tactics they had employed to win.
In Medinipur, Keshpur, Hooghly, Bankura, Purulia and several other places, they are indulging in violence in the name of victory processions. I have instructed the police to disallow all such victory processions as enough time has passed.
Our peace processions and people contact programmes will continue as they are. Any violence during these peace marches will be handled strictly as per the law by the police.
I appeal to all to maintain peace in Bangla. Let the government at the Centre and in all the States work for the betterment of the people, according to the Constitution.
Let no one think about destroying the country in the name of benefitting a political party.
One can fool some of the people some of the time, one can fool all the people some of the time, but one cannot fool all the people all the time. We have to keep this in mind.
Besides Nimta, there have been three other cases of my party people and their family members being murdered – in Cooch Behar, Dinhata and Ashoknagar (Habra). In one case, even a baby was killed by throwing it to the ground while it was being fed. Is this the culture the BJP is interested in? With them are the CPI(M) harmads, many of whom have now joined the BJP.
I would request all parties to go by the rules of the Constitution, otherwise the people will stand up against them.
Politics should be based on ideology, not on violence of any kind.
