West Bengal president of the Bharatiya Janata Party Dilip Ghosh said that it was the Union government which rescued Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her cabinet members from Darjeeling.
Ghosh claimed that violence erupted in Darjeeling on the same day when Mamata held a cabinet meeting in the area.
“She then sought help from Union government to get out of the hills. The home minister sent army and paramilitary forces to rescue the chief minister and other ministers,” Ghosh said.
Responding to Ghosh's remarks, a senior Trinamool Congress leader said, “It was the duty of the central government to respond to state government when forces are needed. They did not do anything great.”
On the controversy over the idol immersion during Durga puja, which coincides with Muharram, Ghosh said the state government should allow central forces to step in if it fails to control the situation.
“If the chief minister fails to control the situation, it should allow central forces to be deployed in Kolkata on the day of Durga idol immersion,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state government, which has been under attack over restrictions on immersion of Durga idols, on Saturday told the Calcutta High Court that immersion will be allowed till 10 pm on September 30. The government had earlier said that the immersion will be allowed only till 6 pm on that day.
To a question by acting chief justice Nishitha Mhatre that if Mumbai police could do Ganesh idol immersion along with Muhram procession, why Kolkata police cannot, the chief minister said that Durga puja in West Bengal is unprecedented in India and is bigger than Ganesh Chaturthi.
BJP said they would carry out a rally displaying swords, which Mamata has banned. “Let’s see how she resists it. We will do that,” said Ghosh.
