West Bengal has been facing the worst law and order situation in India, under the rule of Mamata Banerjee. The incidence of crime, which has been peaking at an alarming rate coupled with the strong arm politics of the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, has created a fearful situation for the people of the state. The 2019 general elections in West Bengal have also been seeing the fallout of this violence under the rule of the TMC-led West Bengal government.
The recent violence at the roadshow of BJP chief Amit Shah just adds to the ongoing political violence which has plagued the state for long, first under the rule of communist parties and now under Mamata Banerjee’s TMC. Election Commission taking note of the widespread violence had invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to curtail the campaigning in West Bengal from 10 pm on Thursday, for the last phase of the election.
However, the opposition camp, which has been desperate to save political ground from the BJP, instead of condemning the TMC led violence, has accused the Election Commission of favouring PM Modi. Many top leaders of the opposition camp have alleged that the timing of the campaign ban is made to accommodate rallies of PM Modi.
PM Modis rising popularity has been forcing the opposition camp into uncomfortable twists and turns be it arch rivals SP and BSP forging a friendship of convenience or Raj Thackeray emerging as the new liberal hero. The opposition camp flocking together to mount their attack on a constitutional body is just another indication of this desperation.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had also come out with the similar rhetoric alleging the poll body for biases. After failing to forge an alliance with the Congress, many experts believe this general election to be the last for the AAP.
Time to wake up, India. This very cult n ideology killed Mahatma and is now behind desecration of the bust of one of the greatest reformers Shri Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar ji. People of Bengal will give befitting reply to Modi-Shah led perpetrators of violence and hooliganism
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 15, 2019
Other leaders to join this desperate train were:
If a ban is intended for 72 hours, why is it starting at 10pm tomorrow? Is it to allow the two rallies of the PM before that? https://t.co/wn6MqmmrhD
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) May 15, 2019
The EC's decision to call off campaigning in Bengal is against all norms of democratic fair play. I fully support @MamataOfficial ji in her fight to stop the undemocratic march of the two and a half men who have used and abused every institution of our country for their own gain.
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) May 15, 2019
जबसे देश में लोकसभा आमचुनाव घोषित हुये हैं तबसे खासकर बंगाल में आयदिन कोई ना कोई खबर जरूर सुर्खियों में बनी रहती है जिसके लिए वहाँ पूरे तौर से बीजेपी व आरएसएस के लोग ही जिम्मेवार है।
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) May 16, 2019
@ECISVEEP why only West Bengal ,Natural Justice & Fair Play demands it should have been for entire 7th Phase why only West Bengal ,why not for Eastern UP ? https://t.co/xpE2L2vYpI
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) May 15, 2019
Mamata Banerjee had also tweeted recounting the support of these leaders.
Thanks and gratitude to @Mayawati, @yadavakhilesh, @INCIndia, @ncbn and others for expressing solidarity and support to us and the people of #Bengal. EC's biased actions under the directions of the #BJP are a direct attack on democracy. People will give a befitting reply
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 16, 2019
The pseudo-liberal cabal, which has been silent as Manmohan Singh over TMC-led violence in Bengal, however, now after the action of Election Commission, has trumped Mani Shankar Aiyar in making nonsensical and misleading allegations.
If situation in Bengal is so bad, then why hasn’t @ECISVEEP stopped the campaign immediately? Why wait till 10pm tomorrow? Incidentally, the PM has two rallies in Bengal tomorrow. EC officials are not giving a reason yet to my colleague @arvindgunasekar for this time limit
— Nidhi Razdan (@Nidhi) May 15, 2019
This conduct of the opposition party leaders also exposes the greed which lurks in their mind which has forced them to even go as low as to support political violence by diverting people’s attention from critical issues and creating fallacious issues out of thin air.
PM Modi, taking aim at the blatant disregard for democracy in West Bengal, had said, “Democracy has been strangled there… And the question is not the BJP and TMC or the central government and Bengal government. This entire matter is between the public of Bengal and the Bengal government. The Bengal public is upset with the Bengal government’s actions and its atrocities, and wants to make its decision in a democratic manner. This an attempt by the TMC to stop that,”
The advent of PM Modi’s regime in 2014 has been seeing policies aiming at widespread curbing of corruption; these opposition parties, which carry a huge legacy of corrupt practices have been feeling the heat of PM Modi’s anti-corruption drive. BJP under the leadership of PM Modi had also impacted the political grounds of these parties with several parties reduced to their lowest points. Desperate for survival these parties have even thrown basic ethics on the back seat and have given in to the malicious agenda peddling.