Political slugfest erupts over Sandeshkhali attack, BJP, Congress demand President's rule, Trinamul hits back

Trinamul retaliated with equal ferocity after the Sandeshkhali violence on Friday brought the Congress, BJP, and CPM together to criticize the status of law and order under the Mamata Banerjee administration.

The chief minister, who is also in charge of the home department, was called to resign by the BJP. "Mamata Banerjee ought to step down from her position; she is not entitled to continue in it," said Gaurav Bhatia, national spokesman for the BJP.

"We can legitimately argue that Mamata Banerjee is interested only in consolidating her power when she stands by thugs rather than upholding the law."

Trinamul retaliated by calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resign due to the government's passivity toward the violence in Manipur.

"Mamata Banerjee's resignation is sought by the BJP? Shashi Panja, the minister of industries for Bengal, said that "the entire country wants the Prime Minister to resign."

In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, State BJP Chief Sukanta Majumdar asked that the National Investigation Agency look into the Sandeshkhali tragedy.

The letter said, "Given the seriousness and nature of this attack, I humbly request your prompt intervention in starting an NIA investigation into this incident."

"Such an investigation is vital to protect our nation's rule of law and to ensure the safety of law enforcement personnel performing their duties."

Although the BJP has refrained from calling for President's rule over the last year due to the idea's widespread unpopularity, Majumdar referenced comments made by Calcutta High Court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay in support of government action.

The Congress, Mamata's INDIA partner, was an unusual source of the call for the president's rule. "It is evident now more than ever that there is no law and order here, following this attack by miscreants from the ruling establishment against central agency officials," said State Congress chairman Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who also serves as the Congress's leader in the Lok Sabha.

They got away with injuries today. They could be killed tomorrow. Even it shouldn't come as a surprise anymore. The President's rule is appropriate in this situation, and it should be implemented right now.

Mamata's dark side The head of the opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, a former Trinamul member of the BJP, said that the chief minister was the "primary cause" of the events in Sandeshkhali.

He cited earlier statements made by Mamata calling on people to resist the BJP-led Center's 'agency raj,' which she described as horrifying.

"You have repeatedly attempted to incite your unruly party workers who are less political and more radical; supporting fundamentalism, instead of upholding the constitutional norms, respecting the federal structure, and obeying by the judicial directions," he wrote on X.

Praiseing the central forces soldiers at Sandeshkhali for being composed and not retaliating while under duress, Adhikari said Mamata was plotting to cause a disaster such to Sitalkuchi.

"The courageous soldiers (foiled) @MamataOfficial's crafty scheme to fabricate a scenario that would have resembled Sitalkuchi, had they fired even a single one," he wrote.

Four individuals were killed when central troops opened fire at a Sitalkuchi voting place during the 2021 Assembly elections. The event is said to have been a crucial turning point in the election that put Mamata back in charge for a third term in a row.

Adhikari said, "If one mob member had perished today, Mamata Banerjee and her entire party leadership would have been successful in deflecting attention from the investigation to find the culprits and the endless corruption."

Adhikari and other BJP members often claimed that the assailants at Sandeshkhali were Rohingyas who were being protected by Trinamul, in addition to the Sitalkuchi reference's overtly racial overtones. This seemed to be an effort at polarization, a strategy that hasn't worked in Bengal so far.

Unlike the BJP, we tolerate no corruption at all. Minister Panja said that the BJP has always encouraged violence among citizens.

"They are still speaking in unison, with people like Sukanta Majumdar and Suvendu Adhikari taking the lead. This is just unacceptable and ridiculous.

Md Salim, the state secretary of the CPM, criticised the Trinamul administration for allegedly deteriorating peace and order. However, he was just as harsh on the BJP and its officials, including Adhikari, whom he charged with having fostered the emergence of hooliganism when they were members of Mamata's party.

For the sake of gaining more influence, Trinamul has let these miscreants to flourish. However, Salim said, "such BJP leaders cannot expect to be freed from accountability."

Trinamul said that the BJP was attempting to divert attention away from its own transgressions by inciting unrest.

"From what we've heard, the locals took offense and retaliated." We have said time and time again that we oppose all forms of violence," Panja stated.

"We don't have any problems with any investigations, but some people are intentionally attempting to create disruption. They are purposefully attempting to set up circumstances that would discredit Bengal.

"We would have cooperated if we had known about the arrival of the central investigative agencies," she said. There are sensitive zones in every state, and the state government is more knowledgeable about these locations.

Panja said that the people could now clearly see through the political motivations behind the actions of the central agencies, which she claimed the BJP was abusing to attack the country's opposition.