TMC sees 'outsiders' plot' behind violence in Amit Shah's Kolkata rally, submits video footage to EC
New Delhi, May 15 (UNI): Calling BJP president Amit Shah a ‘liar’ and alleging that that clash erupted in Kolkata on Tuesday was a ‘plot by outsiders’ led by the BJP, the Trinamool Congress on Wednesday approached Election Commission and submitted video footage of the ‘attack’ as proof.
Led by party spokesperson Derek O'Brien and accompanied by senior leaders Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Manish Gupta and Nadimul Haque said that they have ‘lots of hope’ that the Commission will take action against the prefectures of the violence.
“What happened yesterday was bad, it was outsiders plot. Students were protesting peacefully with placards and flexes, But the outsiders does not accept this democratic protest, and eventually they jumped over the gate of the university and vandalised properties and smashed Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s statue,” Mr O’Brien said after the meeting with the Commission.
He said that the party has submitted ‘credible’ video footage that people wearing saffron jumped inside the campus and broken the statue.
“Amit Shah’s press conference proved again that he is a liar. Ten days ago, the same Shah came to Bengal and announced in an election rally that the great Rabindranath Tagore was born in Bhirbhum district. He didn’t even know Tagore was born in Kolkata. Just 48 hours ago he has again gone to Bengal and called Bengal, ‘Kangal Begala’, Mr O’Brien said.
Talking to mediapersons at party headquarters earlier in the day, the BJP president claimed that “he would not have escaped unhurt without CRPF protection”.
However, earlier in the day, the Trinamool Congress leaders showed video footages of the violence during Mr Shah’s rally at Kolkata and claimed that ‘goondas’ brought from Bihar, Jharkhand and UP by the BJP, who had unleashed violence and destroyed Bengali icon Vidyasagar’s statue.
“What were the goondas doing in Bengal and destroying the statue? And now the BJP leaders are justifying it,” the TMC spokesperson added.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Shah, did the same tricks in Gujarat in 2002, and now they are trying it everywhere.
“The only difference is that it is West Bengal and there is Mamata Banerjee,” the TMC leaders aid.
Referring to the statement Mr Modi had made on the West Bengal chief minister that she is a speed breaker, Mr O’Brien said that he agreed with Mr Modi.
“Modi comes to Bengal and called Mamata Banerjee a speed breaker. For once I agree with Mr Modi, Ms Banerjee is a speed breaker. She was a speed breaker for him in 2014, despite, sweeping all over the country, Trinamool still won 34 out of 42 seats. She is a speed breaker for you (Modi) again this time. Because you will not become Prime Minister," he said.
In Bengal, polling has been completed in 33 out of the 42 seats, remaining 9 constituencies will vote in the final phase, including two in Kolkata, on May 19.
Image credit: Avishek Mitra/IBNS
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