'Political violence': BJP slams Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee over attack on party leaders in Jalpaiguri

New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) The BJP on Monday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the attack on its leaders in Jalpaiguri, calling it "political violence" at the behest of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

BJP MP Khagen Murmu, a tribal leader who represents Malda Uttar Lok Sabha seat, and MLA Sankar Ghosh were injured in an attack by a mob during their visit to the flood and landslide-hit Dooars region in the northern part of West Bengal.

They were part of a team of BJP leaders who had gone to the disaster-hit region to assess the situation and distribute relief.

Condemning the incident, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi alleged the "murderous attack" on the party leaders was carried out at the behest of the ruling TMC.

"It's political violence," the BJP Rajya Sabha MP told a press conference here at the party headquarters.

With the kind of violence and other incidents happening in West Bengal under the TMC rule, it appears to have become the "state of Shaheed Huseyn Suhrawardy," Trivedi charged.

Suhrawardy, born in 1892 at Midnapore, served as the fifth prime minister of Pakistan from 1956 to 1957.

"It's no more Bengal of Sri Aurobindo, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda, Vivekanand, Ravindra Nath Tagore," he added.

According to sources, BJP president J P Nadda spoke to party MP Murmu after the incident.

Taking on Banerjee, the BJP leader alleged that the West Bengal chief minister has crossed all limits of "insensitivity".

"While much of North Bengal is reeling under floods, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is seen participating in the celebrations in the video… Bengal is drowning, Mamata is dancing," he charged.

Trivedi alleged that the BJP leaders were attacked "perhaps" because Banerjee has sensed her party's "imminent defeat" in the assembly polls due next year.

"It would not be an exaggeration if the brutal attack on our Lok Sabha MP Khagen Murmu, who belongs to the tribal community, is called the elegy of democracy.The dastardly incident that happened in West Bengal today was the swan song of democracy," he said.

"Under the TMC rule, even parliamentarians and legislators are also not safe… We are confident that people of West Bengal understand this conspiracy and they will give a befitting reply in the elections," he added.

The BJP further alleged that the attack on Murmu is a reflection of the ruling TMC's "contempt and disdain" for democracy and representatives of people. It makes it clear what kind of "contempt and neglect" the West Bengal government has for the tribal communities, he charged.

The Mamata Banerjee government has reached the "pinnacle of shamelessness and ruthlessness" in West Bengal, the BJP leader alleged.

He also slammed the opposition INDIA bloc, questioning their "deafening silence" on the incident.

Hitting out at the chief minister, BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged that the state is witnessing 'Jungle Raj' under the TMC.

"Those actually helping the people, BJP leaders and karyakartas are being attacked for doing relief work. This is TMC's Bengal, where cruelty rules and compassion is punished," Malviya said in a post on X.

"TMC's Jungle Raj in Bengal," the BJP leader charged. PTI PK PK KSS KSS