KOLKATA: The BJP on Tuesday demanded a CBI inquiry into the attack on party cadre by alleged TMC workers at Makra village in Birbhum district. West Bengal BJP president Rahul Sinha said, “The armed attack on the BJP workers at Makra village in Birbhum district was pre-planned from the State Secretariat in connivance with the police, who conveniently stayed away when people were being killed, women molested and armed TMC goons resorted to looting and arson.”
“We moved the Calcutta High Court for a suo moto CBI inquiry. The court has asked us to file an affidavit on Wednesday. If a CBI inquiry could be ordered during the Nandigram firing when Left Front was in power, why should not one be ordered into such a brutal attack?” he asked. The party on Tuesday took out a silent march in protest against the killing of one of its workers, 17-year-old Tausif Sheikh, allegedly by the TMC workers at Makra village on Monday. The state BJP also sent a report in this regard to party president Amit Shah.
“I have sent a report to our central leadership asking them to send a team to Birbhum. I will speak to Rajnath Singh and also send him a report,” Sinha said. “A state BJP delegation will visit the village on Wednesday. On October 31, another team of BJP MPs will visit the village as terror has been unleashed on poor Muslim villagers for leaving the TMC and joining our party,” he said.
Birbhum, which is considered one of the strongholds of the TMC, has been witnessing murders and attacks on BJP workers, particularly Muslims, who have been deserting the ruling party after the Lok Sabha polls. In June, Sheikh Rahim was hacked to death at Ilambajar in the same district and on October 9, Sheikh Enamul was shot dead allegedly by the TMC.
Sinha alleged, “The TMC is panicking as large number of Muslims are leaving them to join our party. With the erosion of its vote bank, both the state government and the party, in connivance with the police, are killing them. We will also file a petition with the EC in this regard.”
Sinha questioned the silence by intellectuals who had come out in support of Mamata Banerjee during the police atrocities at Nandigram.