RSS-BJP alliance tries to turn the 'criminal issue' to a 'communal issue': Derek O'Brien on Kaliachak

KOLKATA: In its first reaction to the BJP's decision of sending a delegation of senior leaders to Kaliachak in Malda, Derek O'Brien, TMC MP and national spokesperson of the party today said, that the RSS-BJP alliance tries to turn the ' criminal issue' to a ' communal issue'.

"The situation in Kaliachak, Malda was tense, but never got out of hand. The police handled the issue tactfully. Thankfully, no deaths occurred, no injuries and 10 people have been arrested. This was a ‘criminal issue’ but the BJP/RSS, as is their strategy, tried to turn it into a ‘communal issue’. They did this by trending hashtags on Twitter, sharing year-old photographs and posting irresponsible tweets with the help of their social media ‘army’," said Brien in a statement issued today.

" The BJP/RSS were trying for the last one week to present, what I call, CIN 100: Communally Insensitive Narrative, 100 days before the State goes to polls. They follow the same tactic in all election-bound States.The BJP team did not come here this morning for a ‘fact finding mission’. They came here for a ‘fuel the communal tension’ mission," he added.

Criticizing the visit of the BJP delegation, he further added, "This morning the leaders were now stating this was opium and fake currency issue. We have been saying all along this is a sensitive issue in a border town and not a communal issue."