No democracy left in West Bengal; need to bring a change: Nadda takes aim at Mamata

the first attack was carried out on me when I had gone to Diamond Harbour, he said.The BJP leader alleged that silencing the opposition is Banerjees style of function, adding that the situation in her state is very painful.Yet, Nadda said, there is a need to bring change in Bengal which is possible with the strength of people.We do not talk about revenge.

BJP national president J P Nadda on Friday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for imposing a ban on the film “The Kerala Story'' and alleged that there is no democracy left in the state due to her style of functioning.

He claimed a state of “lawlessness” in West Bengal and alleged that the state machinery under Banerjee has “crumbled”. He said on the High Court’s order, a special investigation team (SIT) was set to probe post-assembly elections violence in West Bengal. “A total of 7,000 cases were registered and the SIT has taken up 550 cases (for investigation). If this is not lawlessness and crumbling down of the state machinery, what else would be. Such a situation is there,” he charged.

Nadda said the founding fathers of the Constitution were “very clear” about how India will have to protect its democracy, see how it remains on “a very solid ground” and it is not “intimidated and taken for a ride or something of that sort”. “So, we have rejected totalitarian and dictatorship society, and we have made efforts to see that democracy remains on sound ground... see the prevailing situation in Bengal,” he said.

Nadda was addressing a gathering after unveiling a book titled ''Democracy in Coma-Silenced Voice of Women Victims in West Bengal'' at an event here.

Hitting out at Banerjee for banning the screening of ''The Kerala Story'' in West Bengal, the BJP national president said the film has nothing to do with any religion or any state.

“The Kerala Story film has portrayed a very unique kind of terrorism which is taking place. It is something which is related to the nation and related to the world at large. People are going to (joining) ISIS from Australia, England, France, Europe and America. So it is a global problem,” he said.

”But Mamata ji, one of the champions of democracy, has banned it in West Bengal…There is nothing left in the name of democracy in West Bengal. It is indeed a democracy in coma in the state,'' he charged.

Earlier, the West Bengal government banned ''Bhobishyoter Bhoot'', “a film which portrays Banerjee’s style of functioning” were called off from theaters and a ban was imposed on the screening of another film ''Teen Kanya'', “which more or less talks about the Oak Street rape case,'' Nadda said. “A cartoonist was jailed… On one hand, we say India is mother of democracy and on the other, we find that Mamata ji’s style of functioning is to silence the opposition, to see that there is no opposition,” he charged.

“All types of activities and initiatives taken by the TMC government is to see that opposition is silenced,” he said.

But, the incidents, which are taking place in the state, are “extremely worrisome” and painful, he said.

“I feel it is very serious. Society in general should take these issues forward among the people,” he added.

Directed by Sudipto Sen, ''The Kerala Story'' shows how some women from Kerala were forced to convert to Islam and recruited by the terror group Islamic State (IS). The film was released on May 5.

The film has kicked up a political storm with opposition parties accusing the makers of spewing hate.

Referring to the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data, Nadda said crime against women in West Bengal stands at 74.6 per cent and the state is also among the top when it comes to cases of acid attacks.

“West Bengal is first in the cases of heinous crimes against women in the age group of 18-30…There is scam in PM Awas Yojna in the state. Ayushman Bharat has not been implemented, depriving 4.70 crore people from its benefits in the state. This is the state of affairs,” he charged. “They divert Poshan fund, big scam takes place in MGNREGA fake job cards. They do not send utilisation certificate to the Centre and then Mamata ji shouts that injustice was being done (with West Bengal). You do not give accounts of money spent, you don't accept the law of the country and then say injustice is being done,” he added.

Talking about the book, he said, ''These are not stories, but factual incidents have been quoted in the book.'' ''I was the first victim.. the first attack was carried out on me when I had gone to Diamond Harbour,'' he said.

The BJP leader alleged that silencing the opposition is Banerjee's style of function, adding that the situation in her state is ''very painful''.

Yet, Nadda said, there is a need to bring change in Bengal which is possible with the strength of people.

''We do not talk about revenge. We talk about change. There is a need to bring change there and we can do it with your strength,'' he told the audience.