'Intolerance, thy name is Mamata': Nadda slams Bengal CM after attack on convoy

NEW DELHI: BJP president J P Nadda came down heavily on the West Bengal government on Thursday after his convoy was attacked in the state, saying that the incident has exposed the "lawlessness, anarchy and intolerance" that prevails under the TMC government.
In a stinging attack on chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Nadda quipped "intolerance, thy name is Mamata" and added that the way she is working is detrimental to the Indian democracy.
Nadda's strong response came hours after his convoy was attacked with stones while he was on the way to Diamond Harbour in the South 24 Parganas district. The attack left several people, including senior party leader Kailash Vijayvargya, injured.
The BJP has claimed the attack was the handiwork of TMC supporters with the Union home ministry seeking a report from the state government on the incident. However, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee alleged the attack was staged by the BJP itself.
Speaking out against Mamata over the incident, Nadda said that he did not sustain injuries in the attack only because he was travelling in a bulletproof vehicle.
"Eight of our children were injured today, they're children of Bengal. Every BJP worker will stand by them forever. Impact of the brick can be seen on the windscreen of my bulletproof vehicle. It was because of the bulletproof vehicle that I was saved," the BJP chief said.
He said the incident shows that lawlessness and anarchy reign supreme in the Mamata-ruled state, where there is no place for a political debate.
"This (incident) speaks volumes about the mentality of Mamata ji ... I've been told she has given me a lot of names. Mamata ji, this speaks about your culture. This is not Bengali culture," Nadda said.
Earlier today, an angry Nadda had called the attack "unprecedented" and alleged the state has slipped into "complete lawlessness and goonda raj".
Several union ministers, including home minister Amit Shah, and West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar reacted with indignation over the incident.
"Bengal has descended into an era of tyranny, anarchy and darkness under the Trinamool rule. The manner in which political violence has been institutionalized and brought to the extreme in West Bengal under TMC rule is sad and worrying," Shah tweeted.
Dhankhar accused the state administration of failing to act in spite of his alerting the chief secretary and the director general of police.
The governor tweeted that he had intimated the state administration, at 8.19 am and 9.05 am on Thursday, of the possibility of the collapse of law and order during a BJP meeting at Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district.
Meanwhile, Mamata's party hit out at the BJP and alleged the attack was staged.
Senior TMC leader Subrata Mukherjee sought to know if the incident was an attempt by the BJP to divert attention from "the historic launch" of the ruling party's report card.
Mamata said the BJP activists are "slapping themselves" and blaming it on her party.
"Every day they (BJP activists) are coming out (for rallies) with firearms. They are slapping themselves and blaming it on the Trinamool Congress. Just think of the situation. They are roaming around with the BSF, CRPF, Army, CISF....then why are you so scared," she said in Kolkata.
(With inputs from agencies)