'What if Bengal followed Uttar Pradesh's bulldozer model?', asks Mahua Moitra on BJP rally violence

A day after public properties were damaged in Kolkata and Howrah during the BJP’s mega protest march, TMC MP Mahua Moitra on Wednesday asked whether the West Bengal government should follow its Uttar Pradesh counterpart and bulldoze houses of saffron camp leaders.

Attacking the BJP in Twitter posts, Moitra also asked if the first chapter of the central government’s National Education Policy is on how to set police vehicles afire.

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She tweeted: “What if Bengal used Bhogiji Ajay Bisht’s model & sent bulldozers to homes of BJP workers who destroyed public property yesterday? Will BJP stand by own policy or get their chadds in a twist?”

Ajay Bisht is the birth name of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The administration of that state has razed alleged illegal properties of people accused of committing crimes with bulldozers.

“Chapter 1 in BJP’s New Education Policy: how to methodically torch police vehicle,” Moitra said in another tweet.

The Krishnagar MP shared a photograph of a group of people torching a car belonging to the police during the rally on Tuesday to protest against the alleged corrupt practices of the Trinamool Congress government.

Reacting to Moitra’s statement, senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha said she should first explain if the same yardstick can be applied in the case of vandalising of properties of the West Bengal Assembly by TMC members.

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He was referring to the incident of November 30, 2006, when TMC MLAs, who were in the opposition then, went on the rampage after Mamata Banerjee came to the Assembly after she was stopped from proceeding to Singur by the police.

"Moitra should explain if the same rules can be applied for those who took part in the rampage of Assembly properties against her party colleagues," Sinha said.

Some stray retaliations could have taken place as the “peaceful protesters were facing brutal police action”, he said.

However, it is also to be found out whether the arson was carried out by supporters of the BJP or the TMC, Sinha said.

During the BJP’s march to the state secretariat on Tuesday, BJP supporters fought pitched battles with the police, threw stones at them, torched a vehicle and damaged a kiosk while the cops used batons and water cannons to disperse the protesters. Several persons from both sides were injured in the melee.