‘Save Bengal from becoming Kashmir’ to be BJP’s slogan for panchayat polls

KOLKATA: BJP’s West Bengal unit will adopt a new slogan “Save Bengal from becoming Kashmir” in the run-up to the rural polls in the state in an attempt to step up the rhetoric in its campaign against the TMC government.

The new line of campaign will try to exploit the post-Basirhat situation in the state. “We will cite the example of these riots and tell the people that unless TMC is resisted, the future Bengal would be like that of Kashmir where terrorist activities from across the border is a regular feature,” said a BJP Yuva Morcha leader.

The idea of the new slogan mentioning Kashmir came from a comment made by BJP leader and MP, Meenakshi Lekhi, who came to Bengal to visit Basirhat. Commenting on the communal flare up on July 9, she said that Bengal is on the verge of becoming Kashmir and the people are not safe there.

BJP has also highlighted the 2014 Burdwan blast that killed two and exposed a flourishing network of Bangladeshi jihadi elements in at least four Bengal districts, where they made IEDs and indoctrinated youth.

Over the past few years, BJP leaders have repeatedly alleged that Mamata Banerjee’s party has connived at infiltration from across the Bangladesh border that has posed a danger to both the law and order and economy of the region.

According to BJP’s national secretary and former state president, Rahul Sinha, it is the duty of BJP to highlight that TMC is the root cause an alarming law and order situation in the state. “We want to make an early beginning of our campaign for the panchayat polls and we are confident that our performance will be satisfactory despite all apprehension of terror unleashed by the ruling party,” Sinha told HT.