Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday said the TMC government in the state has taken steps to protect and strengthen the communal harmony in the state and asserted that those "trying to incite riots won't succeed".
Banerjee, the TMC national general secretary, while addressing a rally as part of the 'Trinamool-eh Nabajowar' (new wave in Trinamool) mass outreach campaign in the Nabagram area in the minority-dominated Murshidabad district, said the Mamata Banerjee led government would not allow anyone to incite violence in the state.
"We have said that the communal harmony of Bengal will not be disturbed, and we will not allow anyone to incite violence here. We have kept our word. Those who are trying to incite riots here, they will not succeed in their evil intentions," he said.
Abhishek's comment comes in the backdrop of the Congress-Left Front alliance snatching the minority-dominated Sagardighi assembly seat from the TMC in the by-polls held in March this year. Banerjee also took a swipe at the BJP-led union government for depriving the poor in West Bengal of central funds under the 100-day MGNREGA scheme.
"The Centre, out of vendetta, has stopped the funds due to Bengal. They are depriving the poor people of West Bengal by denying MGNREGA funds to the state. BJP is trying to punish the state's people for their defeat in the last assembly poll in 2021," he said.
Reacting to Banerjee's comment on communal violence, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar claimed "If his remarks are true, then how come communal riots are taking place in the state? The TMC government is busy appeasing a specific community to serve its vote bank in the state". During Ram Navami rallies, West Bengal had witnessed sporadic violence in parts of the Hooghly and Howrah districts and a processionist was arrested with arms.
