Human rights champions should report on Bengal violence: Amit Shah

Describing scale of violence as unmatched, says his party leaders and workers were being murdered, their limbs being broken, and their houses and shops set on fire

Taking a dig at human rights "champions", BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday asked them to come out of Delhi and report the "violence" perpetrated on his party activists in West Bengal by the ruling Trinamool Congress.

"I would like to appeal to human rights champions across the world, that whenever and wherever something happens, for hours the voice of human rights (activists) are heard. They should take some time out, and report the political violence in Kolkata, Basirhat and Birbhum," Shah told mediapersons here after meeting victims of alleged political violence in the state.

Describing the scale of violence as unmatched in the world, the Bharatiya Janata Party chief said his party leaders and workers were being murdered, "their limbs were being broken, and their houses and shops set on fire".

"Are these not human rights violations? Just because someone is attached to a political party, someone's husband or brother or father is murdered. Is this not human rights violation," he asked.

Shah hoped his voice would reach the "human rights champions".

"I hope my voice will reach the human rights champions, and they will come out of the lanes and by lanes of Delhi, visit the far-flung remote areas of Bengal, and try to bring these incidents to the notice of the world outside."

He said even a six-year-old child was shot at.

"The doctor hasn't been able to extricate the bullet, he is tense."

Shah said the BJP cadres would strongly face up to the atrocities.

"We will continue our work. No one can half the BJP's growth in Bengal," he said.

Accusing the Trinamool government of taking a partisan approach including in assisting victims of violence, Shah said the BJP will take responsibility of party activists who have been victims of the Trinamool's atrocities.

"Those leaders and victims who have borne the brunt of Trinamool's violence, BJP will take care of them on its own, as the Trinamool government behaves in a partisan way even in assisting the victims of violence."

He also appealed to the media to visit the remotest villages and report the political violence in the state.

--IANS

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