We are suffering..Report of Kasba

On 23rd July 2014, at about 1:30 AM some drunken goons of TMC vandalized and completely demolished a BJP make­shift Party office at Panchannagram, Ward No 108, Kasba Bidhansabha (Assembly Constituency) area under Dakshin Kolkata Lok Sabha Kendra (Parliamentary Constituency). The modus operandi is similar to what has happened in several incidents of vandalism on BJP party offices in the past few months. Goons enjoying patronage of Local TMC leaders usually drink in the late nights and then attack their targets after midnight. 

 

At a time when BJP is growing by leaps and bounds in West Bengal where it was till recently considered a non entity, the attacks have become more frequent. Few days ago about 150 local people had joined BJP from Forward Bloc, a Left Front partner. The attack on BJP party office is believed to be a fallout of the recent movement of Forward Bloc members to BJP, which did not go down well with the TMC leadership. The political landscape of Bengal has changed drastically in the last few months. Several factors like pre­­poll NaMo wave, followed by a BJP win, formation of #ModiSarkar and recent manifold rise of BJP vote share in Bengal have contributed to this effect. BJP is being seen as the main opposition party in West Bengal. Local people allege that the area is under the grip of goons associated with several construction syndicates operating in the area under the patronage of local MLA Javed Khan. Several police complaints have been futile and police under TMC Government hardly takes any action.

With atrocities on BJP workers growing by the day, the youth wing of BJP (BJYM) had called for a “Rasta Roko” on 24th July. On 24th July 2014, BJP & BJYM organized a Rasta Roko andolan, at Ruby Chowk, on EM bypass in protest of the attack on BJP party office at ward No 108, Kasba Bidhansabha area under Dakshin Kolkata Lok Sabha Kendra. Yesterday BJP party office was completely vandalized and razed to the ground by TMC goons. BJP local representatives of ward no 108, Barun Karmakar & others had filed an FIR / GD and given an ultimatum to police to arrest the culprits within 24 hours. Police has failed to nab the accused who are freely roaming in the area. 

It is a known fact that TMC goons enjoy the patronage of ruling TMC party due to which they are not arrested. BJP was forced to take this action, due to police inaction. Several BJYM leaders including BJYM state president Sri Amitava Roy and activists courted arrest and were taken to Kasba Police station. Sri Dilip Mitra, Vice President Dakshin Kolkata District was also present and helped in mobilizing and inspiring BJP Karyakarta. Sri Pradeep Singh of BJYM said “Mamata government should reign in the criminals and goons in their party.” Sri Saroj Singh an active BJP karyakarta and president of Ward No 107 also raised slogans of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “TMC Hatao Bangla Bachao”. 

Sri Arnab Mitra, of Samvad Cell, BJP was present at the venue and took active participation in the Rasta Roko, abhiyan, raising slogans against Mamata Banerjee’s TMC Government and police inaction in the incident. There was heavy Police bandobast and BJP ­ BJYM activists were arrested and taken to Kasba Police station. The irony is; the number of police personnel and vehicles that were pressed into action by TMC Government to arrest protesting BJP cadre could have been used in maintaining law and order in the area by arresting the actual criminals and rowdy elements.