A day after BJP strongman Suvendu Adhikari was elected as the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal, he penned a scathing article in the Indian Express, exposing the Trinamool Congress Party’s disregard for the democratic traditions and its penchant for using violence as a tool to intimidate its opponents.
In an article titled ‘How TMC is betraying Bengal’, Adhikari says TMC has let down the mandate given to it by the people by unleashing terror instead of governing the state. He also called out people who keep clamouring about fascism but are conspicuously silent now even as violence sweeps West Bengal.
Here are the 4 things that Suvendu Adhikari wrote in his article after becoming the Leader of Opposition in Bengal:-
West Bengal, a textbook case of fascism
Under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal has become a textbook case of fascism, Adhikari wrote in his article. Recalling legendary poet Rabindranath Tagore, who once said “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high”, Adhikari said that Bengal has now devolved into a place where the minds of people are not free and their heads hang in shame at the current situation.
The leader of opposition added that violence in West Bengal is no longer an isolated occurrence. Across the state, the violence continues unabated, as Mamata Banerjee tightens her grip over the state, especially after the recent election victory.
The Nandigram MLA also added that the TMC cadres, empowered and emboldened by the top party leadership, are resolutely destroying the culture of democracy in West Bengal.
Governance took a back seat as party concentrated on consolidating power in West Bengal
Adhikari says the state had given a clear mandate to the TMC to govern but they are busy unleashing terror across the state, intimidating their political opponents and settling scores with them. The governance in the state has taken a back seat as the party focused its energies on winning the elections.
Adhikari says tackling the COVID situation was not the priority of the TMC government as the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee busied herself in her rallies, not finding it prudent to attend the recent Covid meetings called by the Prime Minister.
TMC leadership instructed cadres to intimidate the political opposition in the state
Following the election results on May 2, the TMC cadres in West Bengal got clear instructions from the top leadership to threaten the political opposition in the state, Adhikari says. The BJP workers have been at the receiving end of the violence unleashed by the TMC goons. More than 12 BJP workers have been killed, while thousands of others were forced to flee their homes to neighbouring Assam.
Not just the BJP workers, but even the Left and Congress, which Adhikari says did everything possible to embolden TMC to defeat BJP, were not spared as their cadres were attacked and offices vandalised. Nobody was spared, be it women, children, farmers, poor or the young, everyone came under the attack simply because they dared to extend their support to a political party other than the TMC.
Talking about the violence in Nandigram, the constituency from where Adhikari defeated the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, the Leader of Opposition said that the constituency gave so much affection to the TMC in the last several years but today their cadres are exacting revenge on the people simply because they saw through the failures of the party and rejected them.
People having ideological differences with BJP remained mute spectators as TMC wreaked havoc in West Bengal, says Suvendu Adhikari
Adhikari also called the double standards of people who otherwise are very vocal to allege that “idea of India” is in danger and clamour about rising fascism, and are now deafeningly silent as TMC sponsored violence gallops West Bengal.
He said people with ideological differences with the BJP are elated with the Bengal elections results but their silence over TMC sponsored violence is deafening. He says there has been no criticism of aggression displayed by the TMC cadres, no condemnation of lives lost and no words on the women attacked.
“They leave no opportunity to talk about their “idea of India” but conveniently shut their eyes and ears while this very idea of a liberal democratic India is being sullied in West Bengal,” Adhikari says.
Violent triumphalism only witnessed in West Bengal, not in Assam, Puducherry
In a bid to attack the TMC government in West Bengal, Adhikari says the violent triumphalism witnessed in the state was not seen in Assam and Puducherry where BJP is forming the governments. He also attacked the TMC, stating that when the TMC is defeated, they blame the EVMs but the BJP did not blame the EVMs when it lost the elections in West Bengal.
Calling out the hypocrisy of the TMC, Adhikari says the TMC launched an offensive against the Election Commission and central forces. But, he added, the TMC always wanted proper security for the voters before they cast their vote. He also slammed the TMC for casting aspersions on the Election Commission for organising phased elections while they themselves had wanted phased elections so that democratic aspirations can be manifested.
If the TMC continues like this, the fate of the Left front awaits it very soon
Suvendu Adhikari also foreboded that if the TMC continues subverting democracy and using violence to silence its critiques, it will soon face a fate similar to the Left front in the state. The Left has been totally decimated in West Bengal, with people placing little faith in it to lead the state.