Lok Sabha condemns Yogesh Varshney’s remark, BJP maintains distance from him
TIA NEWS
A youth leader of ruling BJP from Aligarh today announced a bounty of Rs 11 lakh for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s head. He attracted wide condemnation from different quarters.
Yogesh Varshney, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) reportedly offered bounty after the police in her state used batons to disperse a rally raising slogans in praise of Lord Rama on Hanuman Jayanti.
“The Mamata government beat up people. If someone was wearing a red shirt or a red pant, they were beaten up brutally by the police. I don’t understand…Mamata Banerjee organises Iftar party, she argues for the Muslims. I want to ask her: Are Hindus not human?
“If they had any humanity, they wouldn’t have beaten up like this. If anyone brings me her severed head, I will give that person Rs 11 lakh,” Varshney said while criticising the police action on the rally.
Yesterday, the police in Suri in West Bengal’s Birbhum district used batons to disperse a rally which shouted slogans in praise of “Shri Ram”.
The police had set up an iron barrier which those in procession tried to break, prompting the law-enforcers to make a lathicharge.
At another place on the outskirts of Suri, thousands of people had ignored a police ban to participate in a rally taken out under the aegis of an organisation observing Hanuman Jayanti.
The Suri Police had on Sunday told the organisers of Bir Hanuman Jayanti that it would not allow holding of any rally or meeting on Tuesday.
Yesterday, the organisers had asked the police to allow the rally after assuring that they would not carry arms.
However, the police did not budge from its stand.
West Bengal general secretary of BJP Sayantan Basu had yesterday alleged at a press meet at the party office that “The district administration at first had accorded permission, but later withdrew it on order of the TMC bosses.”
Lok Sabha condemns youth wing leader’s offer of bounty The Lok Sabha on Wednesday condemned the BJP youth wing leader’s offer for a bounty on Mamata’s head.
Raising the issue soon after the House assembled to take up the day’s business, TMC member Saugata Roy said, “Mamata Banerjee is not only an elected Chief Minister but a former member of this House too. It is a serious and alarming behaviour and the House must condemn it. She is a grassroots leader and government must take action on it,” he said.
Fully supporting Roy, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said his party fully associated with the sentiment and such incident must not happen anywhere.
“A strong message should go from the government against such behaviour and action must be taken against the guilty,” he said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said such a statement by anyone was completely wrong and the government strongly condemns it.
“She is an elected Chief Minister and due respect must be given to her. We strongly condemn it,” Kumar said.
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said there have been many unpleasant incidents in the political discourse in recent past and everyone must work together to improve it. “This is complete wrong. All sides must exercise restraint,” she said.