Kolkata: The BJP West Bengal unit on Monday took out protest rallies across the state against attack on the Hindu minorities, vandalization of temples and Durga puja marquees in Bangladesh and questioned the silence of Trinamool Congress on the issue. The saffron party took out rallies in every district of the state condemning the "attack" on minority Hindus in the neighbouring country and demanded immediate action and punishment of those involved in the communal violence by the Bangladesh government. It claimed that the communal attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh is "part of a bigger plan" to scare them away from that country and it was with this in mind that BJP had mooted the Citizenship Amendment Act to protect them.
TMC spokesman Kunal Ghosh had recently voiced concern over "disturbing incidents" from some areas of Bangladesh during the Durga puja celebrations. The party took out two rallies in southern and northern parts of the city in which party activists waved placards denouncing the unprovoked attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. Senior state BJP leader Debasree Chaudhuri said the "barbaric attack" on the Hindus in Bangladesh is "condemnable".
"Globally recognized philanthropic organizations like ISKCON have come under attack in Bangladesh. The global community is outraged at the barbaric attack. The way the Hindus were attacked there is condemnable. We stand by our Hindu brothers and sisters in Bangladesh," the former union minister said.
The party also organized protests in Jalpaiguri, Asansol, Alipurduar, South Dinajpur, North Dinajpur, Malda, Birbhum, Burdwan, West Midnapore, East Midnapore, Jhargram, Murshidabad, Basirhat, Hooghly districts of the state. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar condemning the attacks termed them as "barbaric which have no place in the civilized world". "Such attacks on innocent minorities in Bangladesh are not only brutal but have no place in the civilized world. The Bangladesh government must take action against the culprits and ensure the safety and security of the minorities," he told reporters in South Dinajpur district.
"Some political parties have maintained a silence on the matter to protect their vote bank," he said in an oblique reference to the ruling TMC.
Echoing Majumdar, BJP state spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya claimed that BJP is the only party which is genuinely concerned about the "plight" of minorities like the Hindus, Buddhists and others in the neighbouring countries. "We don't consider the chain of events during Durga Puja festival in isolation. This is part of an effort to scare the minority population so that they leave Bangladesh. This is part of a bigger plan. It was with this in mind that BJP had mooted the CAA.