Bengal BJP to file PIL against Mamata for her Army comments

The West Bengal BJP on Tuesday said it will file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Calcutta High Court against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her alleged derogatory remarks against the Indian Army while it was deployed at toll plazas in the state.

"She has maligned the Army's image in the eyes of millions of citizens through her uncorroborated allegations. We will file a PIL against her derogatory remarks," said state BJP Vice-President and spokesperson Jay Prakash Majumdar.

Banerjee stayed at the state Secretariat for over 30 hours to protest the deployment of the Army at 19 highway toll plazas in West Bengal between Deember 1 and 3. She claimed er government was kept "in the dark" about the Army movement.

She accused the Army of collecting money from civilians at the toll plazas.

Dismissing Banerjee's comments as "serious and baseless allegations", the state BJP leder claimed her acts should be considered a breach of the Constitution under which she had taken oath as the Chief Minister.

"Never before has an elected Chief Minister tried to denounce the Army like she did. Such action should be considered a breach of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act," Majumdar said.

The BJP leader accused the state police of inclination towards the ruling Trinamool Congress and refusing to accept complaints against alleged threats to life to state BJP President Dilip Ghosh.

"The officer in charge of Jorasanko police station in Kolkata today (Tuesday) refused to lodge an FIR against Janab (Maulana Noor-ur RahmanA) Barkati, the Imam of Tipu Sultan Mosque, who threatened BJP state President of dire consequences. This shows how police administration in the state is whipped by the ruling party," Majumdar said.

"When someone close to the ruling party is convicted, police is afraid to take action. But they are hyperactive when even a small case is lodged against someone from the opposition parties," he said, referring to the FIR lodged against Dilip Ghosh in Jhargram on Monday.

Barkati on Monday issued a 'fatwa' against Ghosh over his "derogatory" remarks against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The cleric demanded Ghosh and other Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh members be "pelted with stones and thrown out of the country".

--IANS

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