Kolkata, April 22 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Wednesday alleged that terrorist infrastructures, including ISI assets and training camps, are found in certain Muslim-dominated districts in West Bengal. He also alleged that a "free zone" has been created for terrorists in these areas.
Speaking to IANS a day before the first phase of Assembly election in the state, Deb emphasised that uniform Civil Code (UCC) is necessary for West Bengal.
Alleging demographic change in West Bengal, the former Tripura Chief Minister said, "In 1951, there were 19 per cent Muslims in the state, today the percentage has increased to 29 per cent. While the percentage of Hindus has gone down."
"In many districts (of Bengal) Muslims are having a majority. ISI assets and training camps are found in those areas and even the headquarters of many Muslim organisations who indulge in anti-national activities are found here," Deb alleged.
He also said, "Whenever a terrorist is caught in Jammu and Kashmir, the identity document recovered from him reveals to be made in Kanthi or 24 Parganas (in West Bengal)."
"Here a free zone has been made for terrorists. People of Bengal don't want this," Deb added.
Moreover, the BJP leader also remarked that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was "actually rejected by the people in 2021" which had let to her defeat in Nandigram seat in the last Assembly election.
However, Mamata Banerjee had later won the Bhabanipur bypoll.
On Chief Minister Banerjee reportedly labelling the BJP as "outsiders", Deb said, "The state's history doesn't say that. They (Trinamool) don't know what Bengal stands for."
Giving examples of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the BJP leader said that they worked to bring social reforms in the entire country and not just West Bengal.
Deb asserted that even the description mentioned in the National anthem and Vande Mataram is about the entire India.
"This means she (Mamata Banerjee) is calling Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and even Netaji Subash Chandra Bose as outsiders. Then who belongs from here," he said.
Taking a jibe at Chief Minister Banerjee, Deb added, "She is the founder of Bengalis and the script has been written by her nephew and Trinamool Congress General Secretary (Abhishek Banerjee)."
On Congress allegations that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not allow Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's rally in Bengal, the BJP leader accused both the Congress and the Trinamool of indulging in "dynastic politics".
"Both Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee follow politics of personal interest. Mamata Banerjee threatens that people have to follow whatever is mandated by her nephew (Abhishek Banerjee)," Deb alleged.
Sounding optimistic about BJP's victory in the upcoming state polls, he said, "It is no longer about 'whether', now it is confirmed that BJP will come to power in Bengal."
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