In an open letter to the people of West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged them to stay united against the ‘battle for justice’ as well as maintain peace and harmony.
The chief minister, in her two page letter, lashed out at the BJP and its alliances for the Murshidabad-violence and said that the rioters will be punished, but peace should prevail. “The BJP is using it to do politics. They want to play a dirty game,” Banerjee wrote.
“Earlier I did not take RSS name but, this time I mistakenly say that they are deeply behind the ugly propaganda going on in the state,” she added.
The Chief Minister alleged that the BJP and RSS had intended to create unrest during the Ram Navami celebrations, but since the state government was well-prepared and the festival passed peacefully, they are now attempting to exploit the Waqf movement for their political gains.
Urging all communities to maintain peace, the Chief Minister said, “Please be patient and stay calm. We are fighting a battle for peace and justice. The criminals hiding behind the curtain must be identified and punished.”
“But at the same time, we must resist the central agencies being used as political tools against us. We have to work unitedly with the people, the police administration, and all democratic institutions to counter the misinformation and protect our state’s dignity and harmony,” she said.
However, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari accused Banerjee of spreading “hatred” under the garb of her “peace message”.
“In a shameless spate of events, the hypocrisy of the Chief Minister of West Bengal is getting even more unravelled. She is misusing her official position and in the garb of issuing a so-called “peace message” (mis)using her letterhead. She is spewing venom, hatred while doing vote bank politics,” Adhikari posted on “X” formely Twitter.
“In her so called “Peace Message” she is openly trying to instigate public at large against BJP, RSS and the Sangh Parivar. She is miserably trying to spread a false narrative by blaming the Sangh Parivar for the ethnic cleansing of Hindus, which is the most absurd & ‘contradictory allegation’ ever made, as even a kid knows that the Sangh Parivar is the biggest backer & defender of the Hindu Community,” he added.
Adhikari further said, “Strangely, she chose to maintain deceptive pin drop silence regarding the radical extremists who carried out such carnage. It is shameful to find the Chief Minister admitting in writing that persons came from beyond the State to orchestrate riots and thereafter, they run away upon causing riots. This is of very serious concern and in view of her unequivocal admission the Union Government should direct National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe as this statement of the Chief Minister pertaining to outside elements reveal a serious threat to the security, integrity and sovereignty of India.”