Video: Army Personnel Dismantle TMC's Bhasha Andolan Protest Stage In Kolkata, Mamata Banerjee Hits Back At Centre

(MENAFN- Live Mint) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the central government while blaming it for“misusing” the Indian Army to dismantle a stage next to the Gandhi statue at Mayo Road in Kolkata, PTI reported. The protest was called to raise concerns about the alleged mistreatment of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in states governed by the BJP

"I do not blame the Army, but the BJP's vendetta politics is behind it. The double-engine government of the BJP is to be blamed. They are misusing the Army. This is unethical, undemocratic," Banerjee said.

She added the Army should have talked to the Kolkata Police prior to dismantling the stage, saying“they could have called me and I would have removed the stage within a few minutes. I don't blame the Army, just appeal to them to remain neutral and not play in the hands of the BJP”.

A“peaceful protest, born from love for our mother tongue, was torn down at the orders of Delhi's frightened zamindars. Permission was granted. Deposits were paid. Every rule was followed. Yet @BJP4India chose brute force over dialogue,” the Trinamool Congress wrote on X and shared some images from the site where the stage was removed.

While accusing Banerjee for insulting“not just the Army but every Indian who holds them in reverence”, the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Suvendu Adhikari said, "Your audacity to defame the Indian Army, the pride of our nation, is a new low. We always knew that you are an Anti National, however claiming that 200 brave Army personnel "ran away" when you arrived at the Maidan is not just the biggest lie you ever uttered, it's a disgusting attempt to tarnish the honour of our Armed Forces, whose courage and sacrifice are unmatched.

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Meanwhile, a defence official stated that, as per Supreme Court directives, the Indian Army (Local military Authority, Kolkata) grants permission for events in the Maidan area for a period of two days, as per a PTI report.

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The defence official said in a statement,“Permission for events greater than three days needs to be obtained from the MoD, Govt of India. Permission for conduct of events was provided for two days. However, the stage has been put up for almost a month. Several reminders have been sent to the organisers for the removal of the temporary structure. However, it was not removed.”

(With inputs from PTI)

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