TMC accuses BJP of being ‘anti-tribal, anti-dalit’, alleges rise in crimes against STs

Kolkata, Nov 15 (PTI) Stepping up its attack on the BJP governments at the Centre and in states, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday accused the party of being “anti-tribal” and “anti-Dalit”, alleging that crimes against Scheduled Tribes (STs) had risen sharply in saffron party-ruled states.

In a post on its official X handle, the party claimed crimes against adivasis had shot up by a staggering 90 per cent from 6,827 cases in 2014 to 12,960 cases in 2023.

"In just one year, between 2022 and 2023, crimes against STs skyrocketed by 28.8 per cent, with the crime rate surging from 9.6 to 12.4," the party said.

The party asked, “Where are Tribals the most unsafe? Not Bengal. But Manipur and Madhya Pradesh, both proudly governed by BJP,” alleging that BJP-ruled states accounted for the “worst atrocities” against tribal communities.

"In Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi, a BJP leader was caught on camera commiting atrocities on a tribal youth. In Bengal, BJP's own LoP @SuvenduWB has proudly declared that respected Tribal leaders like Debnath Hansda and Birbaha Hansda are 'infants' who belong under his boots," the TMC said in the post.

“After this mountain of hate, humiliation and violence, how does the BJP dare to lecture Bengal?” the party asked, alleging that the double-engine government used adivasi lives as “political props”.

In another post, the TMC accused BJP leaders like Amit Malviya of launching "an anti-Bengali campaign", branding him as an outsider.

"So now @BJP4India wants to decide who is 'Bengali' and who is not? Your UP-born @amitmalviya is the same man who insulted and questioned the Bengali language, claiming "there is, in fact, no language called Bengali".

Accusing Malviya of repeatedly painting Bengalis as infiltrators and Bangladeshis, the TMC described BJP as a party parachuting outsiders into Bengal politics and appointing outsiders like Bhupendra Yadav and Biplab Deb as "election in-charge".

"When it suits BJP, outsiders are leaders. When it doesn't, even Bengalis are ousiders," the post said.

The TMC said Bengal does not need BJP's certificate to decide who belongs here as "your hate-driven narrative won't work here." PTI SUS MNB