Accusing the BJP of conspiring to spread unrest and violence in the Darjeeling hills and dishonouring state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's picture in their rallies, the Trinamool Congress on Saturday held protest demonstrations across the city and in various districts in West Bengal.
Several Bengal ministers and heavyweights from the state's ruling party led the protest rallies in various parts of Kolkata bringing the traffic to a halt on Saturday afternoon.
Protesters carrying effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Dilip Ghosh shouted slogans like "BJP Hatao - Desh Bachao" (drive away BJP to save the nation).
A section of Trinamool leaders also heavily criticised the BJP-led central government on issues like demonetisation and implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Taking a swipe at the state BJP chief for visiting Darjeeling and talking to Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) chief Bimal Gurung, who is in hiding, Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee claimed the BJP was trying to gain political mileage by provoking the people of the hills.
"Dilip Ghosh went there and made provocative comments. He also talked to some hill leaders who are facing charges for anti-national activities. I think the state administration should talk to people like him (Ghosh) to find out where people like Gurung and Roshan Giri are hiding, so that they can be immediately arrested," Chatterjee said from a protest rally held in south Kolkata's Behala.
"People of the plains have rejected the BJP. So now they are trying to get a foothold in the hills with the help of Bimal Gurung. Even the Lok Sabha member of their party from the hills is talking in the language of Gurung," he charged.
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State Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee accused the BJP of tampering with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's picture and insulting her by making obscene comments during their rally on Friday.
"The BJP is destroying the political culture of Bengal and bringing in obscenity," he said from another south Kolkata rally.
"The BJP and the central government are hatching conspiracy against the Bengal government and the Trinamool Congress. They are conspiring to foil Mamata Banerjee's attempt to restore peace in the hills and trying to refuel the unrest. Our rally is a protest against these vile attempts of BJP," he added.
--IANS
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