KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged that BJP is monetarily aiding secessionist movements and fomenting communal riots in north Bengal.
Speaking at a Trinamool Congress youth public conference in Siliguri on Monday, the party supremo said, "BJP leaders come with briefcases to Bengal. They have a lot of money. They are supporting secessionist movements and fomenting communal riots in north Bengal."
The state government had in 2016 alleged that Border Security Force (BSF) was imparting arms training to secessionist militant organisation ‘Narayani Sena’ in Coochbehar district, a claim which BSF had refuted. Alleging that the Centre was indirectly supporting Gorkhaland statehood agitation in 2017 by reducing central forces in the region, the state government had gone to Supreme Court over the issue.
The West Bengal CM Monday once again brought back the issue of National Register of Citizenship (NRC) in Assam and said that her government and party will protect Bengalis "at all costs".
“BJP is conspiring to expel Bengalis from Assam. If they are attacked, we will protect them. Don’t forget that we had given shelter to Bengalis of Assam when they had to flee the state during Bongal Kheda agitation in 1960s,” she said.
Alleging that the Centre deprived West Bengal in the budget, she also tried to form a unity among the non-BJP ruled states by expressing solidarity with states which felt deprived by the Centre. “I have heard that Telugu Desam Party is pulling out of NDA reasoning that Andhra Pradesh is being deprived by the Centre. I express solidarity and support to all states who share our ordeal,” she added.
The TMC supremo also claimed that Trinamool Congress is the ‘most transparent party’ in the country and the Centre was trying to malign it with the support of Congress and CPM. “TMC is the most transparent party in the country. You (Centre) can’t suppress us by maligning us. Our heads will always be held high,” the CM added.