New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday hit out at West Bengal CM and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee over her ‘If Bengal burns, then India and Assam too will’ remark and questioned how she dared to threaten the state as protests over rape-murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor in RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata raged on.
“Didi, how dare you threaten Assam? Don’t show us red eyes. Don’t even try to burn India with your politics of failure,” Sarma wrote in a post on X. He pointed out that it’s unbecoming of her to speak divisive language.
दीदी, आपकी हिम्मत कैसे हुई असम को धमकाने की? हमें लाल आंखें मत दिखाइए। आपकी असफलता की राजनीति से भारत को जलाने की कोशिश भी मत कीजिए। आपको विभाजनकारी भाषा बोलना शोभा नहीं देता।
দিদি, আপনার এতো সাহস কীভাবে হলো যে আপনি অসমকে ধমকি দিচ্ছেন? আমাদের রক্তচক্ষু দেখাবেন না। আপনার অসফলতার… pic.twitter.com/k194lajS8s
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) August 28, 2024
Voicing his anger, BJP leader from Assam Piyush Hazarika also flayed Mamata Banerjee. He said, “She can’t threaten us. I seriously condemn her. She can’t control law and order in her state and is threatening us.”
BJP West Bengal President Sukanta Mujumdar also wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and criticised Mamata of making anti-national remarks. In the letter, he said, “This isn’t the voice of someone holding a constitutional position. It’s the voice of an anti-national.” He added that Mamata “no longer deserves to hold such an important position” and demanded her immediate resignation.
What did Mamata Banerjee say?
Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday slammed the BJP over the violence during the bandh (strike) and the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ protest march to the state secretariat on Tuesday. She was speaking at the foundation day event of the Trinamool Congress’s student wing.
“Some people think this (agitation) is like the protests in Bangladesh. I love Bangladesh, they speak like us (Bengali). Our culture is also the same. But, Bangladesh is a different country and India is a separate country. PM Modi, you are trying to use your party to create fire here. But remember, if you burn Bengal …. Assam, northeast, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Delhi will also burn.”
Her comments sparked a political furore and evoked angry reaction from the BJP.