Kolkata, Sep 12 (IANS): Controversy has surfaced in West Bengal after a video went viral where BJP’s national secretary Anupam Hazra was seen speaking at a public meeting and inviting “corrupt” Trinamool Congress leaders apprehending summons by central agencies to join the saffron camp.
Hazra was addressing the meeting on Monday evening in Bolpur. His comments attracted scathing criticisms from the ruling Trinamool Congress leadership who have claimed that this “washing machine” practice promising corrupt leaders protection from arrest on condition of shifting political camps had been an old practice followed by BJP.
The ruling party leadership also drew reference to the leader of the opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Ahdikari and claimed that he too shifted to BJP to avoid arrest over his alleged involvement in the Narada scam.
The CPI(M) and Congress leaders have claimed that this “washing machine” practice is being followed by both Trinamool Congress and BJP according to their convenience. They have cited examples of how the ruling Trinamool Congress in the past in coordination with police administration forced several Congress and Left Front legislators to shift to the ruling party after implicating them in false cases.
Hazra’s comments have also been censored by his own party leadership. According to BJP’s state spokesman in West Bengal, whatever Hazra said were reflections of his personal opinion and does not confirm the ideology of BJP. “Our party is not any holy water-body where the sinners can avoid punishment for their past crimes by taking a dip. Our national leadership will surely look into it,” Bhattacharya said.
Hazra himself said that his comments were first interpreted in the wrong perspective and then blown out of proportion. “I never said that corrupt leaders from Trinamool Congress will be accommodated within Trinamool Congress. My call was for those honest leaders who apprehend being implicated because of their associations with a thoroughly corrupt political force,” he said.
Hazra also questioned the authority of Bhattacharya, as a state leader, in giving media statements on the comments by a national leader. “It is against the protocol of our party,” he said.