Kolkata, March 9 (IANS) Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of trying to distribute leaflets of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s March 14 brigade rally in Kolkata at her sit-in demonstration site in Esplanade. She also claimed that this work was being done through an agency.
After that, Chief Minister Banerjee ordered that the people doing so be caught red-handed.
She asked state minister Shashi Panja to file an FIR immediately. She also ordered everyone to keep an eye on the surroundings.
It is learnt that one person has already been caught in the act of distributing the leaflets.
On the fourth day of the anti-SIR dharna in Esplanade on Monday, the Chief Minister said, “I am warning everyone who is on the dharna. BJP is trying to distribute leaflets through outside agencies. Catch them red-handed. Hand them over to the police. They have no right to enter the programmes of other political parties.”
She further said, “BJP is distributing leaflets near the protest dais. They should be caught in the act. I am giving the responsibility to Shashi Panja to file an FIR against them. They have no right to enter here. If they do wrong, they will be punished.”
The Chief Minister took a dig at the BJP, calling it a party of cowards. “A party of cowards. People are not coming to their rallies. They do not have the support of the people. They have come to distribute leaflets to Trinamool workers,” said Banerjee.
The BJP, however, has denied this allegation. At a press conference on Monday, party leader Rahul Singh said, “BJP is not distributing any leaflets to them (Trinamool) there. They are doing this and blaming it on BJP. Those who reached there with placards also have their rights. What right does the Chief Minister have to sit there blocking the road day after day?
“Who gave permission? How did the police give permission? If the Chief Minister has the right to sit there, then people have the right to reach there and present their demands as well, and also the right to distribute leaflets.”
At the same time, he added, “None of our workers went there to distribute leaflets. Because we do not want to invite them to Modiji’s meeting. We do not want them to come to the brigade. So we do not need to distribute leaflets to them.”
Incidentally, PM Modi will hold a public meeting at the Brigade Parade Ground next Saturday.
–IANS
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