Mukul switch to TMC his personal decision: Bista- criticised the present state of affairs in West Bengal

SNS, SILIGURI, 11 JUNE 21 : Darjeeling MP Raju Bista has said that BJP's national vice-president Mukul Roy's decision to return to the Trinamul Congress was his "personal choice" and that such political developments were "beauty of democracy."

"Mukul Roy is a senior and a seasoned politician, and his joining the TMC is reflective of his personal choice," Mr Bista, who is also one of the BJP's national spokespersons, said in a statement.

However, Mr Bista criticised the present state of affairs in West Bengal after the TMC came to power in the consecutive terms under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee.

"The beauty of democracy is that people are free to choose. But sadly, today this freedom to choose does not exist in West Bengal. This freedom is denied to everyone who is not from the TMC or cater to their ideology of cut-money, corruption, murder and mayhem. If anyone quits TMC and joins some other party they are attacked with guns and bullets, their families are raped and murdered, they are threatened everyday using TMC goons and police," Mr Bista said.

Notably, Mukul Roy, the MLA on a BJP ticket, and his son, Subhrangshu Roy, who also contested the Assembly polls on a BJP ticket, were defeated by TMC candidates, while both of them joined the TMC in Kolkata today.

Political observers and media persons had predicted Mr Roy's intentions about the "homecoming" after the TMC came to power and when new MLAs assembled in the Assembly hall.

According to political sources, as Mr Roy is accused of having a hand in multi-crore chit fund scams in West Bengal, he had contacted the MP leadership "to save himself from CBI investigations."

Sources also said Mr Roy took former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley into confidence as the BJP leadership under the leadership of the then West Bengal observer Siddartha Nath Singh raised the chit fund scam issue politjcally, and his statement was "Bhag Mukul Bhag..." 'run Mukul run,' (from the CBI). But Mr Roy quit his party and joined the BJP. BJP accepted him in the party fold with a view to beating the TMC in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

"Mr Roy and his followers were unhappy, having failed to adjust with the state BJP leadership, especially state president Dilip Ghosh. But Mr Roy finally came close to state BJP observer Kailash Vijayvargiya of the Assembly polls, the MP leadership, though there were complaints against both Mr Vijayvargiya and Mr Roy, nominated the latter as the BJPs national vice president," a source said.

Significantly, a section of BJP workers suspected the role of Mr Roy and raised several questions even during the last Assembly elections, as per an audio clip of a conversation between two BJP workers. "The BJP today experienced a set back after Roy joined the TMC. Many other leaders and MLAs, elected on BJP ticket, may join the TMC from both South and North Bengal," a political observer said.

On the other hand, a section of BJP leaders are determined to take on the TMC in the coming days.

Asked to comment, Mr Bista said: "We want to end the culture of bomb, baarud and blood from politics in West Bengal. Our duty is to serve the people of our nation and our state to the best of our abilities, and we will continue to do so."