BJP, TMC triggering religious polarisation, says CPM leader

By Syeda Shabana Parveen

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], January 14 (ANI): Senior CPI (M) leader Mohammed Salim on Thursday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) were triggering religious polarisation ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections.

Speaking to ANI, Salim said, "BJP has been trying to polarise people on the basis of religion and TMC is helping it. The TMC is working on the lines of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to stop the Left."

Nullifying BJP's claim of winning more than 200 seats in the upcoming polls in the state, Salim said 2021 election results cannot be predicted on the results of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

He express confidence in the victory of the left and the Congress alliance in the forthcoming West Bengal Assembly polls saying, "People will vote for unity, clean governance and reject the divisive policy of BJP-TMC."

"During the lockdown, both BJP and TMC leaders safeguarded themselves in homes while migrant labours were in distress," said Salim.

The senior CPI (M) leader claimed that the left workers had suffered political violence the most since BJP's emergence in the state.

On poll strategist Prashant Kishor's association with TMC, Salim said, "TMC knows about its defeat in the election. That is why it is banking on Prashant Kishor."

He further criticised BJP for the induction of TMC leaders into the party. "BJP tied up with all corrupt TMC leaders. It shows the weakness of both BJP as well as TMC. This weakness will benefit the Left and Congress," added Salim.

When asked about Sougata Roy's call for coming together of parties like the Left and Congress with TMC against BJP, Salim said, "During Maoist period, Sougata Roy made slogans 'CPM hatao' (remove CPM). Now, he is begging CPM to come together."

He accused Roy of corruption. "Sougata was caught in the camera taking bribe in Narada case but he survives because of Mamata's tie-up with Amit Shah. TMC cannot face people with their corruption so it wants other people for the alliance," claimed Salim.

On Wednesday, TMC leader Sougata Roy asked CPI-M and Congress to support West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her fight against BJP. (ANI)