BJP supporters arrive at Amit Shah’s rally in Shahid Minar Ground in Kolkata. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)
The incendiary ‘Goli maaro…(shoot the traitors)’ slogan was heard in Kolkata on Sunday after it was reportedly raised by a section of BJP workers on their way to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s rally at Shahid Minar ground.
Sharing a video of the incident, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Salim said it took just one visit from the Home Minister to spread the ‘Goli maaro’ slogan in the city.
All it took was one visit of Amit Shah to spread the “Goli Maaro Saalon Ko” slogan in Kolkata.
The followers of Godse might be impressed with “Goli” but Bengal is the land of Vivekananda, Kazi Nazrul Islam and Tagore. #GoBackAmitShah pic.twitter.com/x5n1RZSSEz
— Md Salim (@salimdotcomrade) March 1, 2020
“All it took was one visit of Amit Shah to spread the “Goli maaro saalon ko” slogan in Kolkata. The followers of Godse might be impressed with “Goli” but Bengal is the land of Vivekananda, Kazi Nazrul Islam and Tagore. #GoBackAmitShah,” Salim wrote on Twitter.
Leader of Indian National Congress in Lok Sabha Adir Chowdhury accused the BJP of trying to spread violence in Kolkata similar to that of Delhi. “After spreading violence in Delhi, now BJP is trying to create the same situation in Bengal. Such slogans just reflect that. We all have to come together to resist them. he said. Echoing the same, Congress MLA Manoj Chakraborty also blamed the Kolkata Police for inaction. “What is Trinamool Congress’s police doing? Why such BJP supporters are not arrested?” he asked.
When news agency PTI contacted a senior Kolkata Police officer, he refused to comment on the incident. However, he assured strict action against “anybody trying to disrupt the law and order situation in the city”.
Shah arrived in Kolkata on Sunday morning to address the pro-Citizenship Amendment Act rally amid protests by opposition parties who raised ‘Go back’ slogans outside the airport. He inaugurated a new building of National Security Guards at Rajarhat before reaching the venue of the rally. Protesters also put up demonstrations near the Municipal Corporation headquarters.
The “goli maaro..” slogan was first raised by BJP leader Kapil Mishra during a ‘tiranga march’ in support of the new citizenship law in Connaught Place in December. While campaigning for the Delhi Assembly elections, Minister of State (Finance) Anurag Thakur, had repeatedly chanted “Desh ke gaddaron ko” and had people responding with “goli maaro saalon ko”. Following this Thakur was barred from campaigning for 72 hours by the Election Commission over his remark.
However, after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was voted back to power, Union Home Minister and former BJP president Amit Shah acknowledged that some provocative remarks during the poll campaign by his party leaders should not have been made — and may have hurt the party.