West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya on Wednesday alleged that All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) activists were attacking the offices of their own party leaders in the wake of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s landslide victory in the West Bengal Assembly polls. Speaking to news agency IANS in Kolkata, Bhattacharya claimed the post-poll violence gripping the state was not an attack on BJP offices but a sign of deep internal discord within the ruling party.

The Dilip Ghosh Incident

Bhattacharya cited a specific example to bolster his allegation. He claimed that BJP candidate Dilip Ghosh and the rival TMC candidate had exchanged greetings cordially after Ghosh's victory, only for the TMC candidate to call Ghosh later that night seeking help. According to Bhattacharya, the TMC candidate alleged during the call that his own party's activists were on their way to vandalise his office. "Trinamool members are attacking each other," Bhattacharya claimed.

BJP's Stance on Post-Poll Violence

The Bengal BJP chief asserted that his party had taken a clear position against celebratory excess and violence. He said the BJP had directed that DJs would not play during victory celebrations, calling it inconsistent with West Bengal's culture. "Nobody will attack any office. We will stop the (post-poll) violence at any cost," he said.

On Trump's Congratulatory Message

Responding to reports that US President Donald Trump had congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the BJP's Bengal victory, Bhattacharya was measured. "Whether Trump congratulated him or not, does not change the democratic process in West Bengal," he said. He also noted that Indian voters based in cities like Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, and Dallas had returned to cast their votes, with their names on the state's voter list. He claimed that some youths working in Silicon Valley had visited him since a batchmate was a BJP candidate from Behala.

Demographic Change and National Security

Bhattacharya made wider claims about the state's demographic transformation, alleging that West Bengal's land had been used to spread what he described as a "module" across the country. He alleged that even ISIS terrorists had been arrested from Kolkata, and that this "silent demographic invasion" was compromising the country's internal security. "So, this victory is very essential from the point of view of national security," he asserted. These claims were not independently verified and were attributed solely to Bhattacharya.

What the BJP Chief Said About the Mandate

Concluding his remarks, Bhattacharya framed the BJP's win as a restoration of democratic values. "I pay my regard to the people's mandate who have re-established democracy in West Bengal," he said. He also drew a pointed contrast with the TMC: "Our politics is decisive, Trinamool's politics is divisive. The people of West Bengal will understand the difference between these two in the next six months."