Kolkata: The crisis within the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continues with the top leadership ordering removal of its legal head forthwith.
This move comes after the IT head of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in the state lodged an FIR at the Posta police station in Kolkata, accusing him of both mental and physical torture.
Both the complainant and the accused are men. However, it has been stated in the complaint that the man who heads the party’s legal cell in the state sought sexual favours from the BJYM IT head.
Both were allegedly on a trip to Sikkim for party-related work when the incidents occurred. They were accompanied by two Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel — as part of the security detail — the complainant has stated.
These security personnel allegedly threatened him after he resisted and also snatched his mobile phone and other belongings on a train from New Jalpaiguri back to Kolkata.
It was only after a crowd gathered outside the Sealdah station that his belongings and phone were returned, the complainant has noted.
According to sources, leaders in Delhi are extremely upset with this development and has directed the state leadership to probe the matter and submit a report.
The legal head is also to be removed from all positions in the party, pending an inquiry. The BJYM IT head will also be questioned.
“The West Bengal unit of the party is already in bad shape at a crucial time when the state is gearing up for the Panchayat elections. Such distasteful incidents are not at all desired. There is a lot of infighting with the state unit and leaders have repeatedly been cautioned against shooting off their mouths in public against each other.
“Not only the Trinamool Congress, but also the CPI-M is taking advantage of the situation. Most importantly, people in the state are losing faith in the local leadership. No wonder, they are finding it difficult to mobilise people for protests and demonstrations at such a crucial time. This is leading to frustration and then the leaders are blaming each other,” a top leader in Delhi said.
The state BJP has all but lost the opportunity to take on the ruling Trinamool Congress over the alleged fake recruitment scam in the education department.
The CPI-M, on the other hand, has gained political ground, using these allegations and the arrest of top Trinamool Congress leaders on charges of corruption, as a weapon.
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