BJP Bengal President issues stark warning to party workers against post-election violence, says TMC, BJP should enjoy tea together

Kolkata: BJP State President Samik Bhattacharya on Tuesday said the political culture of Bengal must change and gave a clear message to his party workers that violence will not be tolerated and stringent action will be taken against BJP party workers, if Trinamool party offices are vandalized.

Meanwhile ECI directed CS, DGP and CAPFs in West Bengal to ensure Zero Tolerance towards Post Poll Violence by anyone in West Bengal.

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“We have given clear instructions to our party workers that no violence will be tolerated. We have informed the administration that if any incident of violence occurs, FIR should be lodged and action taken, even if he is a BJP worker or anyone else,” Bhattachatya told ET in an exclusive interview.

“The environment should be such, after doing politics during the day, both BJP and Trinamool can enjoy a cup of tea together at night,” Bhattacharya, who spoke about Trinamool government’s “Bisorjon” in Bengal since he became the state President, ahead of the polls. He had also given a call to all political parties, including Congress and CPI-M, to forget the colours of their flags and remove Trinamool from power.

Also Read: CEC orders patrolling across state, action amidst threats of violence

A day after the BJP’s huge mandate in West Bengal, the state BJP chief warned party workers against any kind of violence to avoid expulsion. He said the BJP won’t repeat the acts of the Trinamool Congress. After Trinamool came to power, the state witnessed vandalism in CPI-M party offices and set ablaze. Many BJP workers were killed in pre-poll, poll and post-poll violence in the 2021 assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Bhattacharya said that if any BJP worker is found to be involved in any kind of post-poll violence, the person will be removed from the party.

“Yesterday, internal party feud of Trinamool was reported in Dumdum, Asansol and Rajarhat Gopalpur, when a section of Trinamool picked up a BJP flag and vandalised an office of another group within the party,” Bhattacharya said.

He also gave stringent warning to all to stop any kind of extortion from businessmen, auto rickshaws or markets. “No such extortions and forceful money collection will be allowed,” he said. “No rickshaw driver will give money to anyone. The vendors selling vegetables on the road, though they do not have permission from the municipality, cannot be forced to pay extortion money.”

Bhattacharya said BJP’s central leadership will take a call on when the swearing-in of the new Chief Minister will take place and the central ministers have already.

With 206 seats, the BJP has got a huge victory in the state Assembly polls, while the Trinamool Congress has got 81 seats. The Congress won two seats, the CPI-M one, while the AISF and the Aam Janata Unnayan Party secured one and two seats respectively.