As Amit Shah reaches West Bengal on Thursday for the first time since the 2021 state assembly election, News18 spoke to BJP IT convener and state co-in charge Amit Malviya about the impact of his two-day visit.
Malviya alleged that chief minister Mamata Banerjee is against the Centre as she has been trying to protect criminals in the recent Hanskhali rape and death case, and Birbhum violence in which 10 people were burned to death in a village in Rampurhat over a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader’s murder.
He said people of West Bengal want to get rid of the TMC because of the growing law and order problem in the state, and Shah is in the state to rejuvenate BJP workers and get back to power.
Shah’s visit underscores the need to safeguard the West Bengal border with neighbouring Bangladesh for which he inaugurated Border Security Force (BSF) floating outposts in Hingalganj. Malviya has accused Mamata of protecting a “syndicate”, and has problems with the BSF.
Edited excerpts:
What are BJP workers expecting from Amit Shah’s visit?
The last one year has not been good for West Bengal with rising cases of rape and political murders. If the state need change then Mamata must go. She has brought down the reputation of West Bengal nationally. Amit Shah’s visit will give boost to not only party workers, who have been waiting for him, but people.
What do you think of a separate statehood demand being made by the BJP leaders?
We have always stood for overall development. There are constitutional provisions we are committed to. We want to get the state out of poverty. The way Mamata has governed the state, it needs change.
Why Shah’s visit emphasises on border?
Bengal shares a long border with Bangladesh. Right now, we know the state border has become a safe haven for terrorists. Mamata has directed the police not to work, that’s what her order is. She protects people from the syndicate, this is an area of concern.
Mamata has said its the Border Security Force’s responsibility to stop coal smuggling. What do you have to say?
There other non-BJP chief ministers in the country. Have you ever seen any other CM having problems with the BSF? She says so because people in her party do smuggling, human trafficking, coal smuggling through this porous border. She herself protects that. She wants to keep Bengal away from the Central development. We are proud of the BSF that is what she only says. She is anti-federal.
How BJP workers will get rejuvenated? There is a fight in a faction of the BJP West Bengal unit. How will Shah handle that?
BJP received 2.3 crore votes (in the last state assembly election). We will fight for people everywhere. Tell me which party is free of fighting? Even Mamata’s relative wants to dislodge her. She is having a tremendous problem. We are sure that Amit Shah will show workers the direction.
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