A day after Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP from Krishnanagar constituency in Nadia district Tapas Pal threatened to ‘send his boys to rape the women of CPI (M) workers’ families’, all the major opposition parties in the State condemned his comments here on Tuesday.
While Left Front chairman Biman Basu said that the Lok Sabha Speaker should take suo motu cognisance of Mr. Pal’s comments and ‘cancel his seat in Parliament’, BJP State president Rahul Sinha said that his party would send a CD of Mr. Pal’s comments to the Speaker to decide whether his comments were against the dignity of Parliament.
Describing Mr. Pal’s speech ‘obnoxious and shocking’, Mr. Basu demanded his ‘immediate arrest’. Reading out the CPI (M) Politburo’s statement in this regard he said that it has demanded stern action against Mr. Pal and cases should be registered against the ‘delinquent MP’ for criminal intimidation and inciting violence.
Accusing the ruling party in the State of trying to push Bengal towards ‘jungle raj’, he said the CPI (M)’s unit in Nadia submitted a representation to the District Magistrate earlier in the day.
“We will be launching condemnation marches tomorrow (Wednesday) and I urge all the Left allies to hit the streets to condemn the MP’s comments. I urge women to stage dharnas in front of police stations to demand security for themselves,” Mr. Basu said.
Coming down heavily on Mr. Paul, Mr. Sinha said, “He has no moral right to continue as an MP.” Mr. Sinha also criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her ‘silence’ over the issue, and said, “We think her silence in this regard proves her indirect support towards Mr. Pal’s comments.”
Referring to TMC district president Anubrataa Mondal, who has earlier issued threats to the opposition parties, he said, “It seems that the entire TMC is following the Birbhum line and is unable to follow Kalighat (Ms. Banerjee’s residence in the city) line.”
Mr. Sinha referred to the rising rates of crimes against women in the State and alleged, “In every incident, TMC men are 100 per cent involved.” In protest against Mr. Pal’s comments, members of the BJP’s women’s wing burnt his effigy in the city later in the day.
Senior Congress leader Manas Bhunia said that Ms. Banerjee ‘should immediately give her reaction and clear her stand on the matter’. He also said that the four Congress MPs from the State would discuss what could be done in the case according to ‘legislative norms’. Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in the Assembly Mohammad Sohrab said, “Mr. Pal’s comments are against Bengal’s culture.”
