Kolkata, Oct 4 (IANS) On the last day of campaigning for the Nandigram Assembly bye-election on Sunday, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari targeted former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, recalling the 2021 Assembly elections.
He alleged that the previous Trinamool Congress government used the state police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to file an attempt-to-murder case against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on the basis of a ‘false claim’ about Mamata Banerjee’s leg injury during campaigning in Nandigram in 2021.
Incidentally, Mamata Banerjee was injured while campaigning in Nandigram on March 10 in 2021.
The political debate over the treatment of that incident, the nature of the injury and the ‘broken leg’ has intensified again before the upcoming bye-election.
Reacting to the political controversy over the incident, CM Adhikari quipped saying, “What if West Bengal observes March 10 as a lie day.”
On Sunday, Suvendu Adhikari marched in Nandigram in support of BJP candidate Hasi Rani Rath.
Hasi Rani is the mother of the late Chandranath Rath who was Suvendu adhikari’s personal assistant.
At the end of the poll campaign, the Chief Minister again raised the issue of Mamata Banerjee’s leg injury and said if there is no evidence of injury or broken bones in the government records then why was a case filed against BJP leaders in view of that incident.
Chief Minister Adhikari claimed, “The previous Trinamool government harassed BJP leaders on the basis of completely false allegations. A case of attempt to murder was filed, but there was no evidence of broken bones in the government records.”
The Chief Minister made the same claim at a press conference on Saturday.
Holding up a document in his hand, CM Adhikari claimed that it was Mamata Banerjee’s medical report and there was no evidence of broken bones in it.
During Sunday’s campaign, Suvendu Adhikari also said that necessary legal action will be taken once the model code of conduct for voting is lifted.
According to the Chief Minister, if someone is really affected or framed in a false case, he will be given legal protection.
“But if someone deliberately makes a false complaint, there is a provision for punishment in the Indian Penal Code.”
Suvendu Adhikari also called for increasing the margin of victory of the BJP candidate in Nandigram.
He appealed to the voters to make Hasi Rani Rath win by a margin greater than that by which he won in this year’s state Assembly elections.
Along with this, the Chief Minister also commented on the minority vote bank.
He claimed that in the last three elections, the BJP almost did not get minority votes in Nandigram.
He also commented that it remains to be seen whether that situation will change this time.
–IANS
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