New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Saturday, January 17, held press conferences targeting the Indian National Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), refuting claims that the Booth Level Officers (BLO) suicides were due to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) work pressure as reported by the media.
In multiple press briefings held across various states, the saffron party targeted the Indian National Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), alleging that the officers were taking their lives due to “constant threats.”
Taking one such BLO suicide in West Bengal, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, in Delhi, told reporters, “Ashok Das, a BLO in Jadhavpur assembly constituency, was honestly fulfilling his responsibilities. But he died by suicide due to the TMC workers’ constant threats. They had told him that he, along with his wife and daughter, would be killed if any infiltrator’s name was removed from the voter list. I urge the people of Bengal to avenge Das’s death democratically.”
He called Das’s death as “political murder.”
“Poll officials in Bengal are not safe today. So much pressure is being put on them that they are being driven to suicide.
“Attacks are being organised at the Block Development Officers (BDO) and their offices as if they are in enemy territory,” Patra said. He alleged that about 300 people attacked a BDO’s office and indulged in arson in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal, destroying property worth Rs 20 lakh.
“When the attack was carried out at another BDO’s office in Farakka in Murshidabad, TMC MLA Monirul Islam was present there, but his name was not mentioned in the FIR registered in connection with the incident,” he claimed.
His allegations come on the same day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at a public rally in Malda district, claimed there was an “alliance between infiltrators and the ruling party” in the state.
Terming the situation in West Bengal as reminiscent of ‘Banga Bhanga’, the 1905 partition of Bengal by the British, the Patra alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is trying to separate the state from India by inciting violence to stop SIR and protect Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators. He also called upon people to “wake up” and unite against it.
“To keep India united, we must be united. ‘Ek hain to safe hain‘ (If we are together, we are safe),” he said.
The spokesperson also attacked the AAP government in Punjab over the state police raid at a Punjab Kesari newspaper group’s office. He termed the raid “anti-democratic” and called upon mediapersons to protest against the incident.
“Arvind Kejriwal cannot ever change. After moving out of Delhi’s Sheesh Mahal, he is now staying in Hawa Mahal in Punjab… Action was taken against the newspaper at the behest of Kejriwal,” Patra said.
Targeting the Congress over its Madhya Pradesh MLA Phool Singh Baraiya’s controversial remarks linking beauty to rape, with the BJP saying Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should demand the MLA’s expulsion from her party, Patra demanded that the party take action against him.
During an interview to a media outlet, Baraiya also claimed sexual crimes against women from “certain castes” got encouragement from some scriptures that describe it as “teerth phal” or “fruit of pilgrimage”.
Condemning his remarks, Patra said, “I hope that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will make a statement on this issue and visit her mother (Sonia Gandhi), demanding the MLA’s expulsion from the party.”
(With PTI inputs)
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