The West Bengal unit of the BJP has accused the state government of doing nothing for the minorities of the state and asked the ruling TMC to publish data on the number of jobs offered to Muslim youths over the last six years.
The Mamata Banerjee-led government has made 'false promises" for political benefits, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said today at the party's minority convention at Rani Rashmoni Road, in the central part of the city.
"I want to ask her about the measures she has taken in the last six years for the Muslims of the state. She (chief minister Mamata Banerjee) has only made false promises... Whenever election approaches she tries to project herself as the messiah of Muslims by branding the BJP as demons," Ghosh said.
Listing various development projects that the Narendra Modi-led central government has initiated since 2014, Ghosh asked the state government to enumerate the projects it has taken up for minorities.
The BJP is serious about development of Muslims as it believes in the policy of "Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas" (Development for all), he said.
Echoing similar sentiments, BJP leader Mukul Roy criticised the chief minister for not taking a stand on the 'triple talaq' issue.
"She (Banerjee) is saying that the triple talaq (bill) is defective...How is it defective, she wouldn't say. When a discussion was held on the bill in Parliament, her party remained silent," Roy said, adding "a clear stand" on the issue might anger a section of her party leaders.
Roy, once the second in-command in the TMC, joined the BJP in November last year. "She (Banerjee) is claiming that she has given jobs to lakhs of youths of this state. I want the state government to give us the data regarding it..." he said.
Banerjee had last week described the bill which makes instant triple talaq a criminal offence as "defective" and said it would do Muslim women more harm than good.
The newly-inducted BJP leader also dug up the 2007 Rizwanur Rehman case, while speaking about the "double standards" of the TMC, and said the party after coming to power has rewarded police officers involved in the incident with plum postings.
Rizwanur Rehman was found dead by a railway track on September 21, 2007. His family members had alleged that pressure had been put on him by his wife's family and some police officials to annul the marriage. A CBI probe had concluded that Rehman committed suicide.
His brother Rukbanur had contested and won assembly elections on a TMC ticket in 2011 and 2016.
"During the Rizwanur Rehman case in 2007, the TMC had promised that police officers involved in it would be punished but after coming to power, they were rewarded with plum postings," Roy added.
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