Kolkata, May 14 -- State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Thursday reiterated that there is no room for "revenge politics" in Bengal, asserting that the Suvendu Adhikari-led government is focused on development and generating employment opportunities.

Responding to media queries in Delhi over the Trinamool Congress' allegation that 10 of its workers were killed in post-poll violence, Bhattacharya dismissed the claims as "baseless". He alleged instead that three BJP workers were killed by TMC supporters after the declaration of election results. Raising a counter question on the post-poll violence after the 2021 assembly elections, Bhattacharya said: "After the 2021 election results came out, 56 BJP workers were murdered in 27 days. Around 27 women BJP activists on camera alleged that they were gangraped by TMC activists.

Houses of the BJP workers were demolished by bulldozers, and our party workers suffered unbearable pain.

Where was the Mamata Banerjee government then? The police did not even register FIRs. There was no rule of law in the state at that time," Bhattacharya said, adding, "Now the rule of law has been established in Bengal."

He also alleged that those TMC activists who on social media posts hurled abuses on our candidates a day before the election result, the same people on the very next day after the election results were out impersonated as BJP workers and carried out attacks with saffron flags.

"We have given a clear instruction that the BJP government in Bengal will handle goons without seeing party colours. If any of our MLAs is involved in any sort of violence, the party will take stern action. Our Chief Minister has been enforcing law and order situations with strong hands. It is the TMC workers who are carrying out the attacks and the victims are also TMC men," Bhattacharya added.

A day after the BJP formed its first government in West Bengal under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Bhattacharya had issued a stern warning to Trinamool Congress workers and leaders against any attempt to trigger unrest or violence in the state following the change of power. "Power has changed hands now. No one will be spared. Anyone indulging in hooliganism will be sent to jail," he said, while alleging that efforts could be made to create tension in different parts of the state.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.