BJP national vice president Mukul Roy said President's Rule should be imposed immediately in West Bengal.
This is in sharp contrast to what Roy had been telling the party in the past. He had said, “President's Rule would send a wrong signal. The BJP should always fight Mamata politically.”
Taking a U-turn, Roy said, “Yes, for the first time I am saying that there is no other option but to enforce rule of law in Bengal. Article 356 should immediately be imposed in in the state.” He was accompanied by Kailash Vijayvargiya, state in-charge of the BJP, who had earlier raised a similar demand.
Roy defended his demand, citing what happened on December 10 in Diamond Harbour. “J.P. Nadda ji, our party president, was riding on a bullet proof car. But the scant presence of police, who had information about the gathering of the ruling party, worried me. Police were completely inactive and were mute spectators. It was clear that instructions came from the top not to act,” said Roy.
Roy refused to comment on Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar’s report to Home Minister Amit Shah, who will be in the state next month.
“It is the prerogative of the governor to call anyone. I have nothing to say about the Union home secretary calling chief secretary and home secretary of Bengal. These are all administrative moves.” said Roy.
Stones were pelted on the convoy of the Nadda at Diamond Harbour. Several cars were damaged and Vijayvargiya, Roy and other leaders were injured in the incident.
Dhankhar, in a press conference on Friday, lashed out at Mamata Banerjee over the incident and added that he will ensure that such incident do not happen in the state again.
“Let the chief minister take it as a warning. I will be the last person to accept such things happening in my state,” Dhankhar told reporters at Rajbhavan in Kolkata.
