Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee entered the Calcutta High Court on Thursday, dressed in a lawyer’s gown, surprising everyone, to speak about atrocities against the Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers by BJP supporters after her party lost in the recently concluded assembly elections, a move that the BJP dubbed “hypocrisy.”
The BJP cited the incidents of post-poll violence in 2021 to target the former CM. “Within 27 days, 56 BJP workers were murdered; 27 women clearly said in front of the camera that they were gang raped. Houses were vandalised with bulldozers. Terrible atrocities. Mamata Banerjee was the chief minister. Where was she then?” asked BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya.
Mamata arrived at HC in connection with a PIL on post-poll violence. “My humble submission is to protect the people of Bengal,” said Banerjee, observing that this is not a “bulldozer state”.
The TMC chief had appeared in the Supreme Court earlier this year in connection with the the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and voter deletion hearing, but this is the first time she appeared in the HC.
Banerjee sought immediate protection for workers affected by violence, alleging harassment and vandalism of houses and offices in front of the police. The former CM also said that out of 10 people dead, six are Hindus, and no FIRs are being lodged.
While she was leaving HC, there was sloganeering, calling her a “thief”, and the former chief minister had to be escorted out of the court premises.
Bhattacharya said it was not the BJP workers who called her a thief. “The BJP does not do these things. Trinamool Congress is responsible for the atmosphere created on the court premises today,” he claimed.
“Many people benefited during the Trinamool regime. Those who did not benefit during their regime are speaking out,” he said.
TMC had filed a PIL in the HC alleging arson, vandalism and attacks on their workers by BJP supporters across the state. The petition sought protection for affected workers and a proper investigation into these cases.
After the TMC’s poor performance in the assembly polls, Banerjee appears to be making a statement by appearing in the court in the lawyer’s gown that she is making every effort to protect her party workers.
