KOLKATA: Union Home Minister Amit Shah ruled out the possibility of imposing Article 356 when a section of party functionaries demanded President’s rule in West Bengal in a meeting held in Kolkata on Friday. Shah met party functionaries on the last day of his two-day Bengal visit.
"The Trinamool Congress came back to power for a third straight term with a huge mandate. An elected government cannot be overthrown by imposing Article 356. We will have to fight against Bengal’s ruling party politically," Shah reportedly said in the meeting with BJP functionaries.
In the meeting, a section of party leaders demanded President’s rule in the state citing alleged atrocities by the TMC. They alleged that the police administration is acting at the behest of the ruling party.
"The second-in-command in the central government rubbished the demand of our party leaders. He said the BJP workers would have to continue fight against TMC’s atrocities. He also cited how he was attacked and framed in false cases when the BJP was in opposition in Gujarat. He reminded us that party workers at the grassroot level will have to fight hard and strengthen the party’s position in the state," said a senior BJP leader.
Shah also reportedly told party leaders that the BJP believes in democracy. "The Bengal CM also faced attacks by the then ruling CPI(M) but she continued her movement and achieved her goal. But the TMC is following the footprint of the CPI(M) and unleashing attacks on our party workers. It is because the TMC no longer believes in democracy. But we believe in democracy. So we will have to fight it politically," he told the party functionaries.
Shah also assured the party’s Bengal chapter that the saffron camp would perform well in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and asked Bengal functionaries to strengthen the organisational set-up.
Shah on Friday evening visited BCCI president Saurav Ganguly’s house to have dinner with the former skipper of the Indian cricket team. The visit triggered a buzz of Ganguly’s proximity with the BJP.
Ganguly, however, denied any political aspect behind Shah’s visit. "We are known to each other for a long period. His son works with me. It is completely a courtesy visit," he said.