Saffron party politicising Bangla unrest, says Trinamul Congress

The Bengal BJP has emitted loud signals that the Bangladesh clashes will be used here to gain votes in the upcoming bypolls to four Assembly seats on October 30

Mamata Banerjee.: File photo

Meghdeep Bhattacharyya   |   TT  |  Calcutta   |   20.10.21: Trinamul on Tuesday attacked the BJP for its reported bid to politicise in Bengal the communal unrest in Bangladesh, and while condemning last week’s attacks on Hindu minorities in the neighbouring country, lauded the Sheikh Hasina government and civil society there and questioned Narendra Modi’s silence on the matter.

Mamata Banerjee’s party ended its silence on the BJP’s attempts to polarise the electorate in Bengal by misusing the Bangladesh clashes in a strongly worded article on the front page of Trinamul mouthpiece Jago Bangla, named Shokuneyr rajniti BJP’r (Politics of vultures of the BJP).

Jago Bangla also carried an editorial titled Bangladesheyr hridoy hotey (From the heart of Bangladesh).

“The question… remains – who stands to gain from the attacks in Bangladesh?” it asked in its frontpage lead article.

“In various countries, religions of fundamentalist forces can be different, but in terms of their interest in the business of elections in the name of religion, they complement each other,” its editorial said.

Since last week’s Durga Puja, at least six people have been killed and some places of worship vandalised in Bangladesh. Several prominent Hindu leaders there however have praised the Hasina government for quick and incisive action after the attacks. Her Awami League accused the Opposition alliance of the BNP and the Jamaat-e-Islami of masterminding the attacks to create communal tension in Bangladesh.

The Bengal BJP, licking the wounds of the Assembly poll and bypoll defeats, has emitted loud signals that the Bangladesh clashes will be used here to gain votes in the upcoming bypolls to four Assembly seats on October 30.

“It can be seen that two forces stand to gain from this – a) Those who want to foment unrest in Bangladesh b) The BJP here, who want to sacrifice some Hindus in Bangladesh to seek votes on the basis of Hindu sentiments here. Which Suvendu Adhikari has already said,” the Jago Bangla frontpage lead said.

“The question from the political circles is that those who repeatedly seek votes in the name of Hindus; the one who goes to offer prayers in a Bangladesh temple ahead of the (Bengal) Assembly elections to attract votes, why doesn’t that Prime Minister Narendra Modi talk when there are problems there?” asked the front page piece. “Now, practising vulturous politics, the BJP’s opportunist Suvendu Adhikari is saying: ‘Bangladesh’s incidents will result in an increase in votes for the BJP here’,” it added.

In the editorial, Jago Bangla asserted that what happened during Durga Puja in Bangladesh was wrong, but it was a conspiracy that had nothing to do with the common “While it is a fact that it caused fear among minorities there, it is also a fact that the Hasina government has been taking stern measures,” read the editorial.

“What is even more heartening is that in Bangladesh itself, there are meetings, rallies, and mega-rallies in protest against these attacks. Multiple Muslim organisations have come forward in protest. Seeing some of these rallies gives us hope, reassurance. This is the heart of Bangladesh,” it added, apparently referring to Dhaka’s iconic Shahbag Square, where on Monday thousands cutting across religious lines raised their voice against the attacks.