Bengal burning, but Mamata doing politics in Delhi, says BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was “doing politics” in Delhi while her state was “burning”.

The BJP’s remark came amid incidents of violence during Ram Navami processions in West Bengal.

"Bengal is burning and Mamata is doing politics in Delhi. It is like Nero fiddled while Rome was burning," senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.

Showing alleged pictures of the violence, Javadekar said that peaceful Ram Navami processions were attacked by Trinamool Congress (TMC) "thugs" in the state.

Also showing a picture of a DSP rank official injured in the violence, the BJP leader said that people linked with Mamata’s TMC were not only targeting innocent devotees of Lord Ram, but they also attacked police personnel.

Alleging that the state government was doing nothing about the violence, the minister said that Mamata government’s insensitivity towards the state is an insult to the people's mandate.

"It is also an insult to the chief minister post and insult to the oath to the constitution," Javadekar said, adding, “One should not do politics on the cost of the state and her constitutional duties".

Joining the attack on Mamata, former TMC leader Mukul Roy claimed that she aspires to become the prime minister but has forgotten her duties as the state's chief minister.

“Instead of discharging her constitutional duties, Mamata Banerjee is in Delhi to form a third front," Roy said.

Roy, who joined the BJP in 2017, alleged state-sponsored terrorism in the state and said people in West Bengal want peace and communal harmony.

(With inputs from agencies)