40,000 victims in Bengal violence: BJP's B L Santhosh

More than 40,000 people have become victims of violence post the West Bengal election, BJP national general secretary (organization) BL Santhosh said Friday, as he urged his party cadre to work towards getting all of them justice.

Santhosh was speaking on 'Bengal after elections', a talk organized by Samvada, a platform associated with the RSS.

Santosh claimed that a total of 7,322 incidents of violence were reported in the aftermath of the West Bengal election "even though the police have filed less than 100 FIRs." Seeking financial assistance from people to aid the affected through the Sangh and BJP, he said that all those responsible for the violence will be brought to book.

He accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of extending her tenure by resorting to violence. "There is criminalisation of politics and politicisation of administration in Bengal," Santhosh said. He claimed that many TMC leaders at the local-level were illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and most of the foot soldiers behind the post-poll violence were Muslim immigrants.

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"The BJP went from 3 seats to 75 seats (after two MLAs resigned). We are pained not only that we didn't win many seats, but also that West Bengal has gone back to a system based on violence," Santhosh said. "We're also happy, as paradoxical as it is, that the BJP won in the Matigara-Naxalbari constituency, a place where the violent Naxal movement took birth. In fact, of all the seats we won, the highest victory margin was here," he said.

The BJP leader said that the saffon party was determined to provide justice to Hindu refugees from Bengal while acting against illegal immigrants by implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).