Amit Shah a rioteer: Trinamool
Kolkata, June 28: Dismissing BJP President Amit Shah as an "empty vessel that sounds much", West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Thursday called him a "rioteer" and said the people would give him a "befitting reply" for trying to foment lawlessness in the state and making wild allegations against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
"He is an empty vessel that sounds much. He is being fed wrong information about Bengal's politics, and he is indulging in big talk. All his enthusiasm will come to an end after the 2019 general elections," Trinamool Secretary General Partha Chatterjee told reporters here.
Chatterjee was responding to Shah's all out attack on the Trinamool from a public meeting in Purulia, where he claimed the BJP will win 22 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal in next year's general election.
Shah ridiculed Baneree's efforts to cobble up an anti-BJP alliance ahead of the general elections, and advised her to first concentrate on Bengal, as ground was slipping from under her feet.
He also lambasted the Trinamool government for committing atrocities on BJP activists, failure to curb infiltration, cross border smuggling of drugs, rise of 'Syndicate raj' in Bengal and the violence during the Panchayat polls.
The Trinamool fielded heavyweight ministers, who used strong language, to respond to Shah's charges.
Countering Shah, Chatterjee said: "First they should take care of Delhi and Gujarat and then think about Bengal".
"The language they are using to woo people, that will have nil effect on the public. In Bengal, you cannot divide the state on the basis of religion or race," he said.
Going a step further, state Finance Minister Amit Mitra called BJP a "terrorist type of organisation", and accused it of establishing a "neo-emergency" in various parts of the state.
"He is a rioter leader. He has taken part in a riots," he said.
Mitra also pilloried Shah for "belittling" Banerjee's 34 year struggle as an opposition leader.
"What he has said is very shameful. He has compared between Rabindra Sangeet played out at traffic signals in the state and bombs. What is he trying to say? Does he want to say Mamata Banerjee is throwing bombs?" he asked.
"The way Amit Shah is trying to foment lawlessness in Bengal, people will respond in 2019. BJP will be thrown out of power at the centre," said Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Surjewala slams Pratap Simha’s ‘vile’ remarks on CM Siddaramaiah, demands apology from BJP
Bengaluru (PTI): Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the BJP over alleged disparaging remarks made by former Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during an assembly bypoll campaign in Bagalkote.
Simha made the remarks while campaigning for BJP candidate Veerabhadrayya Charantimath, triggering a political row ahead of the by-elections scheduled for April 9.
Congress has fielded Umesh Meti, son of former MLA late M Y Meti, whose death necessitated the bye-election.
"Pratap Simha's vile remarks about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bagalkot have exposed the BJP's despicable politics once again," Surjewala said in a social media post.
Alleging a larger political design, he added, "It is increasingly evident that Pratap Simha’s outburst is driven by desperation," and accused the BJP of using such remarks to target backward classes, Scheduled Castes, and minorities.
The Rajya Sabha member further claimed that the incident reflects a pattern within the party. "This is not one man's madness—it is the BJP’s political culture," he said, adding that the remarks were aimed at "denigrating leaders from marginalised communities".
Referring to past incidents, Surjewala said, "CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar have received death threats in the past, including one from BJP leaders who warned that their bodies would be stuffed into a refrigerator."
The Congress leader also criticised the BJP’s bypoll campaign strategy, alleging "internal contradictions".
He pointed to the party’s use of expelled MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal in campaigning despite earlier disciplinary action against him, accusing the BJP of resorting to "abuses and indignities" against opposition leaders.
Surjewala demanded immediate action from the BJP leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, state president B Y Vijayendra, and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka.
He said they must tender a public apology to Kannadigas, particularly to OBCs, SCs, and minorities, over the remarks, and urged the party to expel Simha if it does not repudiate his statements.
Surjewala also called for legal action, demanding that an FIR be registered against Simha and that strict measures be taken.
Warning of "political consequences", he said the electorate in the bypoll-bound constituencies would respond decisively if the BJP failed to apologise, asserting that voters would "teach the BJP a befitting lesson" in the elections.
There has been no immediate reaction from the saffron party yet.
