Mamata Government Appeasing Terrorists, Anti-Nationals: Gadkari

Buniadpur (West Bengal), Jan 18 (IANS) Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday launched a scathing attack on the West Bengal government over the Malda violence, and accused the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress of appeasing "terrorists" for its vote bank.

The BJP leader questioned Banerjee's failure to take action against those who attacked the Kaliachak police station and torched vehicles including those belonging to the Border Security Force (BSF) in neighbouring Malda district on January 3.

"As a chief minister, you took oath of protecting the poor people of the state.

"But instead of protecting them, you are protecting those who burnt the police station and all those who are involved in fake currency smuggling and anti-national activities," the road transport, highways and shipping minister said at a party rally here in South Dinajpur district, some 390 km from Kolkata.

"Why good people, who work hard with honesty, are punished and people indulging in smuggling, torching police stations and anti-national activities are being protected? The people of Bengal want to know, Mamata ji," said Gadkari.

While Banerjee had described the Malda violence as a "struggle between the BSF and the local residents", the Bharatiya Janata Party has been seeking the Centre's intervention alleging the incident was "Trinamool's handiwork to cover up its involvement in anti-national activities".

"With the (assembly) polls not very far off, the Trinamool is appeasing terrorists, patronising criminals and harbouring anti-nationals, why? The Bengal government is patronising these criminals only for vote bank, so that it can utilise these elements and come back to power again.

"But I must remind them that the BJP has taken upon itself to fight out the anti-nationals for the sake of the country. The Narendra Modi government is not the one to patronise criminals but to hit all and each of them," asserted Gadkari.

Asking people to stop tolerating the injustice, Gadkari exhorted the masses to uproot the Trinamool and bring the BJP to power in Bengal.

Speaking in the same vein, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya dubbed Banerjee as a "doting aunt to Bangladeshi infiltrators".

"People call her didi (elder sister) but actually she is 'Mausi' (aunt).

"Much like we used to go to our Mausi during holidays and she doted on us, the Bangladeshi infiltrators, smugglers of fake notes and cows, come to Bengal to their Mamata Mausi during polls, cast their votes and go," said Vijayvargiya.

Describing the areas in and around Malda as very sensitive owing to its border with Bangladesh, Vijayvargiya sought the Centre's intervention in the Malda violence issue.

"Those who burnt the police station and indulged in various smuggling and anti-national activities are being patronised by this government. We will not allow this government to jeopardise the country's security. This is a matter of internal security and the Centre has to intervene and send all these anti-nationals to jail," said Vijayvargiya.