Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today alleged the communal violence in Delhi was “state-sponsored genocide” and the BJP was trying to replicate the “Gujarat model of riots” across the country. While launching Banglar Garbo Mamata (BGM), a mass outreach programme before the upcoming civic polls and 2021 Assembly elections at Netaji Indoor Stadium, the Trinamul Congress supremo also had a stern warning for those who raised the controversial “goli maro…” slogan while heading to Home Minister Amit Shah’s rally in the city on Sunday.

Banerjee hit back at Shah, who had expressed “anguish” over the law and order situation in Bengal at his Kolkata rally, demanding that the BJP apologise for the Delhi violence before lecturing others. “Why hasn’t BJP apologised for it? Then they come here and shamelessly say they will capture (kabza) West Bengal. The BJP is trying to replicate the Gujarat model of riots across India, including in West Bengal. After the Gujarat riots of 2002, they did it in Uttar Pradesh and now Delhi,” she said.

Advertisement

She urged TMC workers to hold state-wide rallies against the communal riots in the national capital and also raise funds to help the victims. “I am deeply pained by the killing of innocent people in Delhi. I think it’s a planned genocide. I am calling it a genocide because it was statesponsored violence that was later projected as riots. Delhi police is under the Centre. There was Delhi police, CRPF, CISF but nobody did anything, everybody looked the other way,” she alleged.

Banerjee said police would not spare anybody who raised divisive slogans. “Those people will be penalised, and the law will take its course. Its Kolkata, not Delhi. Its Bengal. Police have already swung into action,” she said. The Kolkata police on Monday arrested three BJP supporters for allegedly raising the provocative goli maro slogan. Banerjee asked party workers to help police identify from media footage others involved in raising the slogan but urged them not to take the law into their hands. She alleged the BJP relied on either inciting riots or whipping up war frenzy to win elections.