KOLKATA: Newly appointed West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar Wednesday claimed that the ruling TMC in West Bengal is muzzling the voice of the people in an undemocratic manner.
He said the people of the state are afraid to air their views openly in the TMC regime.
Claiming that TMC does not want people to exercise their franchise, the BJP leader said he does not know the reason behind it.
Majumdar, who was speaking to reporters, said "I will ask everyone to vote (in the coming assembly by-poll) without fear, in a free manner.
Vote for whoever you like and don't feel intimidated by any party," Describing the death of Dhurjati Saha, the BJP candidate for Magrahat Poschim assembly seat at a city hospital on Wednesday as "unfortunate", Majumdar said "We have information that he was attacked by TMC miscreants on May 2, which was the day of counting of the West Bengal assembly poll and resulted in his death."
He said, "This lowers the heads of the people of Bengal. A candidate had been attacked in Didi's Bengal. This shows how opposition BJP activists and leaders are being attacked since the day of counting of the state assembly poll," he said.
On allegations of graft against TMC leaders in the smuggling of coal and sand and in distribution of relief after Cyclone Amphan, Majumdar said "TMC leaders are steeped in corruption everywhere, even in villages. They are demanding cut money for every project."
The Enforcement Directorate is sending "invitation letters" to some TMC leaders, the BJP leader said referring to summons to TMC heavyweights by the central agency in recent times but did not elaborate.
On TMC MP Sougata Roy holding the Narendra Modi government responsible for skyrocketing fuel price, Majumdar said he should ask his party supremo (Banerjee) to bring petrol and diesel under GST.
"If petrol and diesel are brought under GST, I am sure the price will be below Rs 70 for every litre.
Why is Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is not issuing a one line statement announcing the same?" he added.
In a dig at Roy, Majumdar said "An elderly leader like him was seen wading through knee deep water before his residence. It was such a sad sight. He should rather think about the ways to contain waterlogging."
To another question about the agitation by applicants to contractual teacher posts, he said that there has been largescale corruption in recruitment of teachers in Bengal.