Which side are you really on, Dear Didi?

In West Bengal, Ms Mamta Banerjee is the loudest and at times, a comical voice against the BJP. (Remember "kutush kutush korke katega"?) But how sincere is the voice? Can she be trusted when the people of Bengal face the BJP and its inevitable agenda of NRC (National Register of Citizens) in Bengal?

Make no mistake, if the BJP wins the state elections in Bengal in 2021, they will go all out for an NRC in there, their patented lies of “no plans for a nation-wide NRC” notwithstanding. And that will be the beginning of the end for the India as we know it. Not that the dismantling of India hasn’t begun already, but if the BJP gets a chance to form a government in Bengal next year, it will claim it has the stamp of "people's approval" on the process.

Coming back to where I began, why can’t we trust Ms Banerjee?

First, she has a long history of hobnobbing with the BJP. Not only was she a part of the Vajpayee’s NDA government, she didn't utter one word against the Gujarat carnage (2002), just like her mentor in the NDA, the late unlamented George Fernandes. She left BJP when she cynically believed it will help her get Muslim votes in Bengal as the community continued to be on the margins after decades of Left rule. Her often theatrical and insincere support to Muslims has only made life worse for the largely poor community which has had limited opportunity of education and in every other sphere. I am not going to elaborate this point because the focus of this post is different.

In recent times, her party issued a whip to oppose the CAB (Citizenship (Amendment) Bill) in Lok Sabha, which became CAA with the President's approval. But despite the enormous importance of the matter and despite a party whip, as many as eight of her MPs were absent at the time of voting (on 10 December 2019). Ms. Banerjee, known to be every bit dictatorial within her party, “condoned their absence”. [India Today Magazine, 17 December, 2019]

Let me now share with you a piece of news that has been buried in the vernacular papers in Bengal. Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, the electricity minister and a second-rung leader of Mamta’s party, was to lead a motion against the CAA at the assembly. He flatly refused to do so and even then, his boss Mamta condoned his wayward behaviour. If you were so cut up about the CAA and NRC, why didn’t you take your minister to task, dear two-faced Didi? More importantly, does a leaf fall within the Trinamool Congress without your approval? Come on! Who are you fooling?

Finally, does the name Parvesh Varma ring a bell in your head? I’ll be happy if it doesn’t. He is a BJP MP who cautioned the people of Delhi that the protesters in Shaheen Bagh are backed by men who would enter people’s homes and rape women if BJP didn’t win the Delhi state elections on 8 February. The comment was crude and despicable even by BJP’s abysmal standards.

But his wonderful value-based misogynistic party fielded that scoundrel to start the motion of thanks to the President’s address in the Lok Sabha on 3 February 2020. Let’s read what the Telegraph reported the next day.

*

“Both Houses of Parliament were in uproar on Monday over the amended citizenship law and the nationwide protests against it, with the Opposition chastising the government for the instances of firing on peaceful demonstrations.

“The Lok Sabha Opposition stood in the well of the House chanting “Save our India”, “Save the Constitution” and “Goli marna bandh karo (Stop shooting)”.

“The Opposition members staged a walkout after the government underlined its brazenness by fielding Parvesh.

As soon as the Lok Sabha had assembled for Question Hour, members of the Congress, DMK and some other parties were in the well with placards, shouting slogans.

“Trinamul Congress members remained seated despite their vehement opposition to the CAA, the National Population Register and the proposed National Register of Citizens, seeking to distance themselves from the rest of the Opposition.” [Emphasis added]

*

Mamta Banerjee is by far the most dictatorial chief minister Bengal has ever had. In the last panchayat elections in WB, the opposition could not field candidates in 36% of the seats because of the terror created by her goons. (And the wise men sitting in Supreme Court thought it was okay!)

She also has far too many skeletons in its cupboard; honesty hasn’t been one of her strong points, to put it mildly. Almost her entire cabinet stood virtually naked in front of the camera in the Narda scam when they were seen taking wads of cash from a fake journalist. So, she has much to fear from the “caged parrots” of the central government.

Mamta Banerjee has changed parties in the past and as I have said, she didn’t utter a word when her beloved Muslim brothers and sisters were murdered and raped in open daylight in Gujarat. This lady cannot be trusted. Period.

Therefore, my message is clear and simple. Vote for CPIM and Congress in Bengal in 2021 if they have a decent chance of winning in your constituency. If not, vote for TMC and put public pressure on the party so that it cannot go for another summersault and join forces with the BJP.

And hope for the best.

05 February 2020

Updated on 07 February 2020

[Photo courtesy India Today]