Mamata Banerjee has led several protest marches against the amended Citizenship Act in Bengal.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today slammed state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh for condoning the shooting of protesters in party-ruled states during the Citizenship Amendment Act agitation, reminding him that "Bengal is no Uttar Pradesh".
"They say more bullets should be fired? This is shameful!" Ms Banerjee said, without naming Dilip Ghosh.
Speaking from the dharna manch of the Trinamool Chatra Parishad, she said, "I am a political leader and you think I will encourage police firing? They are saying that the BJP government in UP has done the right thing, so why not in Bengal? Bengal is not Uttar Pradesh. Many of you want police firing in Bengal. That's why you all are doing this drama of protest. If anything happens, you will also be responsible."
Ms Banerjee also told the state BJP chief that Bengal and Uttar Pradesh are poles apart. "Bengal is not UP. Twenty-three people have been killed there. This is Bengal," she said.
At a public meeting in the state's Nadia district on Sunday, Dilip Ghosh had criticised the ruling Trinamool Congress for "not opening fire and ordering lathi-charge" on those who destroyed railway property and public transportation during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in December. "Didi's (Mamata Banerjee) police didn't take action against the people who destroyed public property because they are her voters. Our governments in Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Karnataka shot these people like dogs," the BJP leader said
Dilip Ghosh also criticised the protesters who resorted to vandalism during the agitation. "Who do they think the public property that they are destroying belongs to? Their father? Public property belongs to the taxpayers... You will come here, eat our food, stay here and damage public property. Is it your zamindari? We will bash you with lathis, shoot you and put you in jail," news agency ANI quoted him as saying.
His statement was criticised by many, including BJP leaders from his own state. "This is a figment of Dilip Ghosh's imagination. The BJP governments in Uttar Pradesh, Assam have never resorted to shooting people for whatever reason," said Union Minister Babul Supriyo, terming the Bengal leader's comments as "very irresponsible".
However, this is not the first instance of a BJP-affiliated politician recommending the shooting of protesters who destroy public property. "I have told the district administration and railway authorities concerned that if anybody destroys public property, they can be shot at sight. I am giving this directive as a Union Minister," Suresh Angadi, the Union Minister of State for Railways, had told ANI at the peak of the agitation last month.
While several instances of vandalism were reported from West Bengal, the worst pertained to arson at the Beldanga and Lalgola railway stations in Murshidabad on December 13. Protesters had also assaulted Railway Police personnel back then.
The Citizenship Amendment Act, for the first time, makes religion the test of citizenship in India. The government says it will help minorities from three Muslim-dominated countries get citizenship if they fled to India because of religious persecution before 2015. Critics say it is designed to discriminate against Muslims and violates the secular principles of the constitution.