West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said that the BJP is trying to instigate violence between communities in West Bengal along the lines of Manipur.
“In West Bengal, they are trying to create a tension between the Kurmis and the other tribal communities. The idea is that if the violence in West Bengal takes a serious shape, then the army can be deployed here. They are trying to create that violence here as they did in Manipur,” the chief minister said while addressing a public meeting at Salboni in West Midnapore district.
In Salboni, the convoy of Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee was attacked on Friday allegedly by a section of people from the Kurmi community, agitating in demand for the Scheduled Tribe status.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that she had got specific information that some leaders are being paid huge amounts of money by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to organise such disruptive movements in the state.
“Previously they tried to divide the hills from the state by instigating violence there. Now they are trying to create tension between the Kurmis and the other tribal communities. I will not tolerate this at any cost,” she said.
Commenting on the attack on Abhishek Banerjee’s convoy, the chief minister said that the police will take the necessary action in the matter.
“Even the vehicle of our minister, Birbaha Hansda, who herself comes from the tribal community, was attacked. Such things can never be tolerated,” the chief minister said.
She also criticised the Central government over the recent decision of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for gradual phasing out of Rs 2,000 denomination notes.
“If you had to phase it out ultimately, then what was the purpose of introducing it just seven years ago, in 2016? I doubt that a particular political party has hoarded huge amount of high-value notes which they want to get rid of now,” the chief minister said.
