West Bengal plunges into chaos as TMC, BJP protest against each other

West Bengal and its capital, Kolkata, erupted into chaos after the state’s ruling party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), both resorted to protests and demonstrations, blocking major arterial roads and streets.

While the TMC was protesting against the arrest of its lawmaker Sudip Bandyopadhyay by the CBI, which is probing the Rs 15,000 crore Rose Valley chit fund scam, the BJP’s agenda centred on the law and order situation in the state. It alleged that TMC attacked its offices in the city and three other locations in the state.

Following Bandyopadhyay’s arrest on Tuesday, the TMC had indicated to mounting its protests across the country with the epicentre being Kolkata. Traffic has been held up for hours as major locations like Dalhousie-Dharmatala, Gariahat and others were blocked after TMC leaders, backed by hundreds of supporters took to the streets to protest the arrest.

TMC supporters mounted blockades along several National Highways in Kankurgachi, Asansol, Andal, Daton, Nandigram, Chadaha, Alipurduar and Canning among other locations while staged demonstrations in front of the CBI office in Kolkata and Bhubaneswar. Besides, the TMC is also staging a protest in New Delhi Parliamentary complex.

Tensions are poised to escalate early next week when the TMC will mount its opposition across the country. West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo, Mamata Banerjee said her party will start the protests from January 9 across 10 states.

Both the TMC and the BJP are meeting West Bengal’s governor, Keshari Nath Tripathi over their respective complaints.

“We have met the governor today and told him the causes of the arrest of Bandyopadhyay”, senior party leader and the state’s parliamentary affairs minister, Partha Chatterjee said.

On the other side, the BJP will lodge its complaint with the governor over the alleged deteriorating law and order situation in the state. The alleged attack by the TMC last evening in its party office following Bandyopadhyay’s arrest has catalysed the situation. TMC workers allegedly pelted stones and attacked the local BJP office; in turn BJP workers retaliated with sticks. The police, and then the CRPF were called in to take stock of the situation.

“Our party offices in Kolkata, Canning, Cooch Behar and Chinsura have been attacked by the TMC and three of our leaders have been attacked. We will complain about this situation to the governor,” BJP’s state president, Dilip Ghosh said.

Ghosh has requested the governor to invoke Article 356 1(A) in the state which refers to the failure of state machinery.

However, the arrest and the escalating political tension is linked to the demonetisation agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Just after the announcement of demonetising Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes on November 8, Banerjee first criticised the move terming it as anti-people and against the interest of the common man and poor.

Shortly, an unofficial united opposition comprising the Congress, the TMC, the AAP and other parties were formed which mounted their criticism on Modi. 

The TMC alleged that the arrest of Bandyopadhyay and another party leader, Tapas Pal, by the CBI is to frighten the TMC.

“For no reasons arrests have been made. The only reason is notebandi. This arrest has been made under pressure from PMO,” the chief minister said adding that Modi is using the CBI and the ED to “terrorise people who oppose him”.

Banerjee and other senior TMC leaders have alleged that “political vendetta” led to the arrest of Bandyopadhyay.

“We strongly condemn the political vindictive attitude of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. For no reasons these arrests have been made. Only reason is notebandi… This is not financial emergency. This is full fledged emergency,” she said on her official Twitter handle.

Banerjee alleged that Modi has been trying to silence political opposition post demonetisation and she was also told to keep quiet when she was in New Delhi.