Biswabrata Goswami
MIDNAPORE, 5 JUNE: Posters in the name of the ruling Trinamul Congress (TMC) calling for a social boycott of 18 local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers at Mahisda village under Keshpur police station limits in West Midnapore have created a flutter in the political circles across the state today.
The posters that appeared at Mahisda in Keshpur asked shop owners not to sell anything to the families of the listed 18 villagers and said that they should not even be served tea at tea stalls, adding that “stringent action” would be taken against the grocers who don’t follow the guideline.
According to locals, copies of the poster were circulated as leaflets among the shop owners in Mahisda village. It was claimed to be issued by TMC’s 176 and 179 booth committees — under the name ‘Mahisda Sarbabharatiya Trinamul Congress’ — but it didn’t carry a date or a signature or office number.
The BJP has claimed that the latest incident is the “tip of the iceberg” as TMC is subjecting its workers to atrocities across the state.
On Saturday, top Union government leader, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asked the Mamata Banerjee government to protect “all citizens” of West Bengal.
However, TMC leaders denied any involvement of the party in the publishing of the poster, alleging that it was taken out by either the BJP or the CPI-M to defame the party and malign the image of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Calling the incident as ‘tip of the iceberg’, BJP’s district chief Shamik Bhattacharya said, “Trinamul Congress has adopted various ways to intimidate and threaten our workers. This is just one of many. Over two dozen BJP workers have been killed in the state since the election results. What proof does anyone need to see the environment of violence in the state?”
Keshpur TMC MLA Seuli Saha, however, denied the charges saying that the details on the poster make it clear that it was made to defame TMC.
“In our party, booth committees do not take decisions. The header on the leaflet is also wrong. We do not write out the party’s name like that. It exposes the truth. Some amateur persons have done it to defame Trinamul Congress,” she said.
Actor and Trinamul MP Deepak Adhikari (DEV) has opened his mouth after the leaflet went viral on social media. Keshpur is Trinamul MP Dev’s own village. So he hurriedly shed light on the matter. He wrote in a post on Facebook, ‘I have personally spoken to the team. They have made it clear that no such leaflet has been distributed by us. ”
However, the opposition camp has rejected Dev’s demand.
Meanwhile. SP, Paschim Medinipur District Police, Dinesh Kumar said that police has registered a suo moto case against the unknown persons who have spread this rumour under relevant section. He also said that they have initiates a probe into this matter.
