Dilip Ghosh said those involved in arson and damaging public property will be shot “like the same way in Uttar Pradeshâ€. (Photo Credit: File Photo)
New Delhi:
BJP state president Dilip Ghosh courted controversy on Sunday by threatening to shoot and kill those involved in damaging public property “like the same way in Uttar Pradesh”. Addressing a public meeting in West Bengal’s Nadia district, Ghosh came down heavily on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee “for not opening fire and ordering lathicharge” on those destroying railway property and public transport during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in the state in December last year.
“Is it the father’s property of those who are setting public property on fire? How can they destroy government property built on tax payers’ money!” Ghosh said. He said, “The governments of Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Karnataka did the right thing by opening fire on these anti-national elements (during anti-CAA protests).”
The BJP leader said those involved in arson and damaging public property will be shot “like the same way in Uttar Pradesh”. “They will come here, enjoy all the facilities and destroy country’s property. Is it their zamindari!” he asked.
Ghosh also called for identifying those “sabotaging the interests” of Hindu Bengalis.
He claimed that there are two crore “Muslim infiltrators” in the country.
“One crore alone is in West Bengal and Mamata Banerjee is trying to protect them,” he alleged.
On Sunday, strongly defending the new citizenship law, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the dispute that has arisen over it has made the world aware of persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan. He, however, deplored that a section of the youth is being “misguided” over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which is aimed at giving and not taking away anybody’s citizenship rights.
“CAA is not about taking away citizenship, it is about giving citizenship. Today, on National Youth Day, I would like to tell this to the youngsters of India, West Bengal, North East that this is not an overnight law for giving citizenship.
“We must all know that any person of any religion from any country of the world who believes in India and its Constitution can apply for Indian citizenship through due process. There’s no problem in that,” he told a gathering at Belur Math, the headquarters of Ramkrishna Mission.
PM Modi said that some people with political interests are deliberately spreading rumours about the new citizenship law.
Lauding the youth for speaking against religious persecution of minorities, the prime minister said the energy of the country’s young will form the basis of change in the 21st century.
(PTI Inputs)
