Homes of TMC leaders involved in housing scam should be bulldozed: Agnimitra

In a controversial outburst fashion designer-turned BJP leader Agnimitra Paul on Tuesday said homes of those involved in an alleged housing scam in Bengal should be bulldozed.

The TMC reacted sharply claiming she was trying to import "politics of the Hindi heartland".

Paul, the BJP state general secretary, on Tuesday said, "Several TMC leaders at the local level are involved in corruption. Homes of those who have taken undue advantage of the housing scheme should be bulldozed.

"If the state administration doesn't act against the culprits, common people will act against them. The culprits must be taught a lesson."

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Allegations and counter allegations over irregularities in implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) housing scheme have often ignited the political cauldron in the state, after it was found that applications of some people owning multi-storey homes were given approval.

The TMC, taking exception to Paul's comment, accused the saffron camp of "importing politics of the Hindi heartland" to the eastern state.

"The state government has taken action in case of any irregularity. Why are BJP leaders behaving like they were the judge and the jury? We condemn this attempt to bring bulldozer politics to the state," TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.

'Bulldozer politics' had become an oft-repeated phrase in the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh polls earlier this year, with Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav frequently referring to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as 'bulldozer baba' over his directions to raze alleged illegal properties of criminals.