Kolkata, May 6 (PTI) Even before formally assuming power in West Bengal, the BJP on Wednesday moved to draw a sharp political and organisational line amid reports of post-poll violence, asserting that it would neither allow reprisals in the state nor permit what its leaders described as the "Trinamoolisation" of the saffron party after its historic electoral victory.
The calibrated but combative messaging came as BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya, accompanied by central observer Sunil Bansal and party leaders Jyotirmoy Mahato and Soumitra Khan, visited state secretariat Nabanna and met Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala and senior officials to discuss the law-and-order situation in the aftermath of the assembly poll results.
Before entering the state secretariat, Bhattacharya sought to distance the BJP from incidents of violence reported from several districts, claiming much of the unrest was "TMC versus TMC" clashes triggered by the political transition underway in the state.
"If someone carries a BJP flag and attacks TMC workers, the BJP will not take responsibility at this moment because we are yet to assume office," Bhattacharya told reporters.
He alleged that several people involved in the clashes were trying to "pose as BJP workers", sensing the change of guard in Bengal.
"I have been saying for six months that after the TMC loses power, there will be a 'breathing time' during which the governor and the Election Commission must protect the TMC from the TMC itself," he said.
The remarks reflected the BJP's attempt to project administrative restraint while simultaneously reinforcing its long-standing political narrative that the TMC's organisational structure was fragmenting from within after defeat.
Bhattacharya also used the moment to send a clear message to potential defectors from the TMC, signalling that the BJP leadership did not want a repeat of the large-scale post-election political migrations Bengal witnessed after the 2021 assembly polls.
"Many people built this party with their blood and sweat since the 1980s and 1990s when the BJP had virtually no presence in Bengal. I will not allow the BJP to be Trinamoolised," he said.
In Bengal's political vocabulary, the phrase carried a layered message--both an attack on the TMC's political culture and an internal warning against the unchecked entry of leaders seeking political shelter after the regime change.
Echoing that line, BJP state spokesperson Debjit Sarkar said individuals associated with alleged intimidation or unlawful activities during the TMC regime would not be allowed to use the BJP as a refuge.
"No individual can become a member of the BJP through self-declaration. Those associated with the TMC who have been involved in atrocities, unlawful activities, or intimidation cannot seek refuge in the BJP to escape accountability," Sarkar said.
"The law will take its own course. BJP stands for a clean and transparent Bengal. No criminal or anti-social element will be allowed to enter the party under any circumstances," he added.
Bhattacharya also warned BJP leaders against encouraging retaliatory violence, saying action would be taken irrespective of organisational stature.
"No matter how big a BJP leader he is, if anyone encourages violence, we will ensure action against him. Give me names and evidence, and I promise action," he said.
In a dramatic assertion, he claimed that had the election verdict gone the other way, "hundreds" of BJP workers would have been killed.
"Today, despite the BJP's victory, our workers are being attacked. Had the results gone the other way, hundreds of BJP workers would have been killed," he alleged, while maintaining that the saffron party did not want violence and wanted the administration to act firmly against lawlessness.
As political tensions continued in pockets of the state, DGP Siddhnath Gupta said 200 FIRs had been registered in connection with post-poll violence and 433 people arrested over the past few days.
Speaking to reporters at the state police headquarters, Gupta said nearly 1,100 people had also been detained as a preventive measure.
"Incidents occurred in some places over the last few days, and also on Tuesday. But since Wednesday morning, no fresh incident has been reported from anywhere in the state," he said.
The DGP said some people were trying to exploit the political transition to create disturbances and warned against attempts to intimidate people using bulldozers or threats of force.
"No one will be allowed to take the law into their own hands. If there are complaints against anyone, those should be reported to police stations," Gupta said, adding that police would suo motu register cases if victims were too afraid to file FIRs.
He also said 500 companies of central forces remained deployed across the state and joint control rooms involving state police and central forces had been opened at both state and district levels to monitor the situation.
The calibrated but combative messaging came as BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya, accompanied by central observer Sunil Bansal and party leaders Jyotirmoy Mahato and Soumitra Khan, visited state secretariat Nabanna and met Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala and senior officials to discuss the law-and-order situation in the aftermath of the assembly poll results.
Before entering the state secretariat, Bhattacharya sought to distance the BJP from incidents of violence reported from several districts, claiming much of the unrest was "TMC versus TMC" clashes triggered by the political transition underway in the state.
"If someone carries a BJP flag and attacks TMC workers, the BJP will not take responsibility at this moment because we are yet to assume office," Bhattacharya told reporters.
He alleged that several people involved in the clashes were trying to "pose as BJP workers", sensing the change of guard in Bengal.
"I have been saying for six months that after the TMC loses power, there will be a 'breathing time' during which the governor and the Election Commission must protect the TMC from the TMC itself," he said.
The remarks reflected the BJP's attempt to project administrative restraint while simultaneously reinforcing its long-standing political narrative that the TMC's organisational structure was fragmenting from within after defeat.
Bhattacharya also used the moment to send a clear message to potential defectors from the TMC, signalling that the BJP leadership did not want a repeat of the large-scale post-election political migrations Bengal witnessed after the 2021 assembly polls.
"Many people built this party with their blood and sweat since the 1980s and 1990s when the BJP had virtually no presence in Bengal. I will not allow the BJP to be Trinamoolised," he said.
In Bengal's political vocabulary, the phrase carried a layered message--both an attack on the TMC's political culture and an internal warning against the unchecked entry of leaders seeking political shelter after the regime change.
Echoing that line, BJP state spokesperson Debjit Sarkar said individuals associated with alleged intimidation or unlawful activities during the TMC regime would not be allowed to use the BJP as a refuge.
"No individual can become a member of the BJP through self-declaration. Those associated with the TMC who have been involved in atrocities, unlawful activities, or intimidation cannot seek refuge in the BJP to escape accountability," Sarkar said.
"The law will take its own course. BJP stands for a clean and transparent Bengal. No criminal or anti-social element will be allowed to enter the party under any circumstances," he added.
Bhattacharya also warned BJP leaders against encouraging retaliatory violence, saying action would be taken irrespective of organisational stature.
"No matter how big a BJP leader he is, if anyone encourages violence, we will ensure action against him. Give me names and evidence, and I promise action," he said.
In a dramatic assertion, he claimed that had the election verdict gone the other way, "hundreds" of BJP workers would have been killed.
"Today, despite the BJP's victory, our workers are being attacked. Had the results gone the other way, hundreds of BJP workers would have been killed," he alleged, while maintaining that the saffron party did not want violence and wanted the administration to act firmly against lawlessness.
As political tensions continued in pockets of the state, DGP Siddhnath Gupta said 200 FIRs had been registered in connection with post-poll violence and 433 people arrested over the past few days.
Speaking to reporters at the state police headquarters, Gupta said nearly 1,100 people had also been detained as a preventive measure.
"Incidents occurred in some places over the last few days, and also on Tuesday. But since Wednesday morning, no fresh incident has been reported from anywhere in the state," he said.
The DGP said some people were trying to exploit the political transition to create disturbances and warned against attempts to intimidate people using bulldozers or threats of force.
"No one will be allowed to take the law into their own hands. If there are complaints against anyone, those should be reported to police stations," Gupta said, adding that police would suo motu register cases if victims were too afraid to file FIRs.
He also said 500 companies of central forces remained deployed across the state and joint control rooms involving state police and central forces had been opened at both state and district levels to monitor the situation.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)
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