A controversy has broken out over BJP using the central government-run National Library, an iconic repository of books set up by the British in 1891, to hold a meeting of the BJP state executive on Wednesday.
The ruling TMC as well as the CPI(M) which is looking to edge the BJP out of the position of the principal opposition in Bengal besides the Congress attacked the saffron party sharply.
CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty told PTI on Thursday, “This is a hegemonic attitude of BJP where it feels that any central government property is its own.” Congress too joined in the attack on BJP, with senior Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya calling it a ploy to politicise the institution itself.
"It is a very unfortunate incident that a political party is holding its meeting at the National Library. These days even the Victoria Memorial hall is being used to host political party meetings. These are a ploy to politicise them. It's harmful for Indian democracy," Bhattacharya told PTI.
The Congress Rajya Sabha MP said that he will take the protest to the BJP national president JP Nadda himself. "I did not expect Nadda to hold a meeting at the National Library … I will definitely tell him that it's not a place to hold a political party gathering," the former chief of Congress' Bengal unit said.
While, TMC state vice-president Jai Prakash Majumdar said, “They have distorted the rules for holding a party meeting. They took permission in the name of a social organization.” He questioned how the Ministry of Culture which runs the library of national importance could give out the building for a BJP political function.
“The national library comes under the Union Ministry of Culture. How come it is being used for a political party programme? How was it even allowed for a party meeting?” the TMC leader queried.
Nadda, along with senior state BJP leaders, attended a day-long state executive committee meeting on Wednesday in the building. Reacting to the development, state BJP leader Rahul Sinha said the party doesn’t need lessons from TMC on where to conduct a programme.
“We don’t need lessons from the TMC on where we need to conduct a programme or not. Did we ever question why TMC on several occasions had used state government-owned auditoriums to hold party programmes,” he asked.
The TMC and BJP have earlier too crossed swords with both sides accusing each other of inaugurating programmes which were supposed to be joint ventures by ignoring the other.
When contacted, National library Director General A P Singh told PTI, “I won’t be able to comment on it as I have recently joined. I will look into it.” The National Library located at Alipore is considered one of the largest libraries in Asia.
(With PTI inputs)
