BJP, TMC leaders engage in dogfight over action against anti-CAA protesters

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday hit out at Bharatiya Janata Party state chief Dilip Ghosh after he threatened to shoot anti-citizenship law protestors involved in violence, like it was done in Uttar Pradesh, ANI reported.

Banerjee called Ghosh’s comments as “shameful” and said Bengal was not like Uttar Pradesh. “How can you say this,” she asked. “It’s a shame to even take his name. You’re promoting firing. This isn’t UP. Here firing won’t happen. Understand that if tomorrow something untoward happens, you’ll be equally responsible. You want to kill people for protesting?”

On Sunday, Ghosh had criticised the Mamata Banerjee government “for not opening fire and ordering lathicharge” on Citizenship Act protestors who vandalised railway tracks, trains and other public property last month. “Is it the father’s property of those who are setting public property on fire?” Ghosh had asked at a public meeting in Nadia district. “How can they destroy government property built on tax payers’ money! The governments of Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Karnataka did the right thing by opening fire on these anti-national elements [during anti-CAA protests].”