Veteran Trinamul Congress leader Firhad Hakim lambasted the BJP and said the saffron party should answer why there were communal riots on the day of Ram Navami in Gujarat, Bihar and Odisha.

He was addressing a huge gathering in Birbhum this morning. Braving the scorching heat, thousands of people gathered to hear him.

“BJP should answer why communal riots had taken place in Gujarat or at Sasaram in Bihar. The saffron party had engineered the riots,” he alleged. Mr Hakim said the BJP’s sole purpose is to divide society.

It fans the communal forces along with RSS and disturbs the communal fabric of our country. India was respected throughout the globe for its broad outlook.

Travellers and scholars from across the globe had come to India and they had written about our society and how people had lived in peace and harmony. He urged people not to fall into the trap of the BJP.

“Do not fall into their trap as they are there to create trouble in society and let loose one community against the other. We have never seen weapons being carried in Ram Navami procession.

Ram is respected across India for his courage and commitment to the people. The BJP has turned peaceful processions into violent ones. They have terrorised people.”

Mr Hakim said the Centre had deprived the people of Bengal by not clearing the dues amounting to Rs 1.15 lakh crore. The central leaders of the BJP are coming to the state but not saying a word on the dues and when they are going to clear the dues, he said. Criticising the local BJP leaders he said: “They do not visit the constituencies but go to Delhi regularly to conspire to stop the stipulated funds. It is a big tragedy.”

He urged people to ask the BJP leaders to explain why the funds have not been cleared. He said by doing this the BJP will not be able to make any dent in the Trinamul vote bank. “BJP leaders live in a fool’s paradise.

But bt holding back the dues they will lose further support, ” he said. “The forthcoming Panchayat election will be peaceful as announced by party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee,” Mr Hakim added.