BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: The BJP called for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's resignation on Monday over a "severe deterioration" in the state's law and order after a video of a man flogging a couple in public in West Bengal surfaced on social media.
The man seen in the video beating up a couple with a bamboo stick was allegedly a local TMC leader from Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district, where the incident occurred following a kangaroo court decision.
The accused, Tajmul alias JCB, was arrested.
BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia highlighted the flogging incident and questioned the chief minister's commitment to justice and governance.
During a press conference, he condemned the act as a grave violation of dignity and fundamental rights and criticised Banerjee's silence.
"It is a shame that she has not spoken a word on this. As a woman and a chief minister, she should be the first to come out and condemn this incident," Bhatia asserted.
He also alleged that the perpetrator was a leader from Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) party.
"What makes the matter worse is the fact that the accused happens to be a TMC leader. This is a blatant miscarriage of justice," the BJP leader claimed.
Bhatia also attacked Banerjee over West Bengal's governance, accusing the chief minister of failing to maintain law and order.
"Law and order have completely collapsed in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee should resign forthwith as she is unable to ensure the safety and security of citizens," he said.
Bhatia also highlighted a controversial statement by TMC MLA Hamdulillah, who allegedly justified the incident by referring to justice systems in certain Islamic nations.
"He justified it by saying this kind of justice prevails in Islamic nations, thus endorsing a Talibani style of dispensing justice in a country that believes in the Constitution of India," Bhatia said.
He also questioned the silence of prominent opposition leaders on the issue.
"Where is Mallikarjun Kharge? Where is Sonia Gandhi? Where is Lalu Prasad Yadav? None of them have made any statement condemning this ghastly incident. Such is their belief in the Constitution of India, or rather, in the Talibani rule of law imposed by the TMC on the citizens of West Bengal," he said.
Assuring the people of West Bengal and India, Bhatia said, "Our national president JP Nadda has raised this issue and, on behalf of the party, I assure every citizen that we will stand shoulder to shoulder with the victims. We believe in the Constitution of India and will ensure that this Talabani kind of government does not exist for another day."