Violence will end in Bengal if Mamata Banerjee follows Shyama Prasad Mukherjee's thinking: BJP

KOLKATA: The BJP on Sunday said that the West Bengal government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was killing the saffron party workers due to a political vendetta and practising the politics of divide.

The comments were made by BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, who is also the party's in-charge of the state. 

''The manner in which she (Mamata) is getting BJP workers killed for vendetta is not in line with Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee's thinking. His politics was one which unites the nation. Mamata ji's politics is one which divides the nation,'' Vijayvargiya said.

BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya: The manner in which she is getting BJP workers killed for vendetta, is not in line with Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee's thinking. His politics was one which unites the nation. Mamata ji's politics is one which divides the nation. https://t.co/C0ebtQNJEl — ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2019

The senior BJP leader also thanked the West Bengal government for its decision to celebrate the death anniversary of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee on Sunday.

However, he also gave a piece of advice to the Bengal government, saying if it follows the ideology of the BJP founder, the politics of violence and vendetta will end in the state.

''Observing the death anniversary and following his thinking are two different things. Mamata Ji is observing his death anniversary, I thank her. But she should also follow his thinking so that violence, especially political violence, ends in Bengal,'' the BJP leader told ANI.

BJP general secy Kailash Vijayvargiya: Observing the death anniversary & following his thinking are 2 different things. Mamata ji is observing his death anniversary, I thank her. But she should also follow his thinking so that violence, especially political violence, ends in WB. pic.twitter.com/cw8msthlP6 — ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2019

The remarks from Vijayvargiya came after the state government announced that it will observe the death anniversary of Dr Mukherjee on Sunday.

A letter issued by the Information and Cultural Affairs department of the state government stated, "State Government will observe the death anniversary of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee on June 23 at 11:30 AM at the Keoratala burning ghat, Kolkata."

"Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, Minister for Power and Non-Conventional Energy Sources Department will offer the floral tributes on the day at the memorial column of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee on behalf of the state government," the letter added.

Importantly, Vijayvargiya had recently equated Mamata with Pakistani`s Prime Minister Imran Khan for not celebrating the International Day of Yoga on June 21.

"Even when the whole world celebrated the Yoga Day with enthusiasm, Mamata Banerjee and Pakistan boycotted it. There is no difference between her and the Prime Minister of Pakistan," Vijayvargiya had said.

Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was born in Kolkata. 

He was the founder of Jan Sangh and also served as Minister of Commerce and Industries from 1951 to 1952.