BJP loves Bengalis only during polls, harasses them otherwise: TMC's Firhad Hakim

Kolkata, Sep 26 (PTI) Senior TMC minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim on Thursday accused the BJP of showing "fake affection" towards the people of West Bengal during the election season, while mistreating them in other parts of the country once polls are over.

His comments came hours after Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Durga Puja celebrations at Santosh Mitra Square in north Kolkata, where he said he prayed before the Goddess for the emergence of a government in Bengal after the next assembly polls that would transform the state into 'Sonar Bangla' (Golden Bengal).

"During election season, BJP leaders show love for Bengal, its culture and Bengali people. But when there are no elections, Bengalis are beaten up and harassed across the country and in states where the BJP is in power. BJP leaders are like migratory birds that come to Bengal only during elections," Hakim told reporters here.

Assembly elections are due in Bengal in April-May next year.

The issue of migrant safety has been a rallying point for the TMC in recent months. The TMC has held street protests across districts, accusing the BJP of unleashing "linguistic terror" against Bengalis. The BJP had hit back, claiming that the action is being taken against illegal migrants.

"I have prayed before Maa Durga that after this election, a government should be formed in Bengal that can build Sonar Bangla. Bengal should once again become safe, prosperous, peaceful, abundant and fertile. And we should be able to build the Bengal of Kavi Guru Rabindranath Tagore that he had envisioned," Shah said at the event.

Countering this, Hakim claimed the BJP had failed to deliver on such promises in states it governs.

The West Bengal BJP on Friday lodged a complaint with the police alleging that posters welcoming Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his visit to the Kalighat temple near the shrine were removed by unidentified miscreants, party leaders said. The BJP also alleged that the flex and banners were replaced by the ruling TMC with images of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Hakim rejected the BJP's allegations against the ruling party as baseless and claimed the saffron camp has little to no organisation in the southern parts of the city.

"Does the BJP have any organisation there? Do they have workers in Kalighat or those areas? Who did it then? Maybe they hired an agency and the money was siphoned off," Hakim told reporters.

The minister pointed out that Kalighat and Bhowanipore - areas that include Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence near the Kalighat temple - have always been TMC strongholds. PTI PNT NN