The TMC is making no secret of the fact that Mamata Banerjee’s injury has the potential of spilling over onto the streets of West Bengal and prove to be the state’s ‘Godhra’ moment. The ruling party has, for two days now, been claiming that their supremo was the victim of a well-planned and sophisticated attack perpetrated by the BJP, with the sole intention of taking Mamata Banerjee’s life. This, despite the fact that Mamata Banerjee herself took to drastically changing her testimony on Thursday, via a video in which she appeals to TMC workers to maintain calm and peace in the state.
The TMC does not seem to be caring too much about the ‘victim’ herself abandoning the ‘attack’ bogey. In line with the same, TMC leader Madan Mitra on Thursday said that the alleged ‘attack’ on Mamata Banerjee was carried out by ‘trained men in nikkars (knickers)’. This, in a veiled attempt to pin the blame of Banerjee’s injuries on RSS workers. Mitra further went on to say that had the chief minister of any other state been ‘attacked’ in such a manner, a ‘Godhra’ like incident was sure to happen.
It seems it was done by well-trained people who take training in 'nikkar'. Had this type of incident taken place in any other state, say Gujarat, then it would have become another Godhra. It was a case of attempt to murder: TMC leader Madan Mitra on injury to West Bengal CM pic.twitter.com/IBmmHA9q9V
— ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2021
It is mind-boggling why a TMC leader would bring up the ‘Godhra kaand’ while speaking about Mamata Banerjee meeting with an accident unless to somehow ready the ground for widespread communal violence breaking out in Bengal. As a matter of fact, even the West Bengal police has told the Election Commission in a report that Mamata Banerjee had met with a simple accident, and was not a victim of an organised attack. The report claims to have arrived at its conclusion via video footage and accounts of local police and eyewitnesses, including Trinamool Congress members. It says the chief minister was hurt when her car, while manoeuvring through a crowded market area, hit a small iron pillar.
Interestingly, the TMC has not been able to provide an iota of proof to validate their claims of Mamata Banerjee being attacked by the BJP or RSS workers. Fearing that the false claims of the TMC could rather end up hurting the party’s already dilapidated electoral fortunes, Mamata Banerjee was forced to change course and abandon ridiculous claims of her being attacked as part of a conspiracy formed by the BJP. The TMC as a party, however, is finding it extremely difficult to abandon the ‘attack on Banerjee’ and ‘attempt on her life’ bogey.