West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday accused his predecessor, Mamata Banerjee, of not learning a lesson from the Trinamool Congress's defeat, adding that she is continuing with old tactics of appeasement politics, deceit, and provocations.
CM Adhikari substantiated his allegation against his predecessor, referring to the last comment by Mamata Banerjee where she described the recent violent protests, attack on policemen and vandalising of public property at Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal as a spontaneous protest against the alleged rape and murder of a 12-year-old minor girl in the area last week.
"Are the rioters supposedly 'protesters'? You have lost yourself and your party has suffered a landslide defeat. Your own party is shattered and exhausted. Yet there has been no change in you. Endless appeasement politics, deceit, and provocation these three bad habits still have not left you! There is no change within you," the Chief Minister said in a social media message on Thursday afternoon.
According to him, Mamata Banerjee, in her attempt to continue with her appeasement politics theory, branded those responsible for lynching an innocent youth at Baruipur as "protesters" organising protests against the alleged rape and murder. CM Adhikari had also attached a video of the lynching of the innocent 26-year-old youth, Indrajit Tanti, and questioned whether those involved in that lynching could be treated as simple protesters.
He also attached a video of the statement by Mamata Banerjee, where she was describing the tension over the recovery of the minor girl's body on Sunday afternoon as "protests". "In your statements, the ones you are calling 'protesters' dragged an innocent youth out of his home, identified him solely by his name and identity, and brutally beat him to death in a mob lynching.
These unruly people set police vehicles on fire, who attacked the police, who tore up railway tracks, who created chaos, who violated law and order, who disrupted the area's peace and tried to spread unrest. Are they really 'protesters'?" the Chief Minister questioned.
In conclusion, CM Adhikari had claimed that just as the new state government led by him will maintain a "zero-tolerance" approach towards individuals linked to heinous crimes like rape and the torture of women and children, similarly criminals involved in the crime of beating an innocent, blameless person to death will also not be spared.
"The days are over when crimes could be committed by hiding behind the cover of a crowd and organising collectively. Through legal means, this new government will ensure such criminals meet their end," the Chief Minister said.