Political killings Mamata's USP, TMC will lose 2021 battle: Supriyo

In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat's senior reporter Anamika Ratna, BJP leader and Union Minister Babul Supriyo accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of encouraging violence in the state and said political killings were the TMC leader's "USP".

New Delhi: Popular singer and Union Minister Babul Supriyo on Saturday attacked the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal over incidents of violence in the state, and said that political killings were the "USP" of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, Supriyo accused Mamata Banerjee of encouraging government-sponsored political killings in West Bengal, and refuted allegations that his party was also involved in the violence.

"BJP has not been aggressive at all. We believe in 'Sabka Saath and Sabka Vikas' across the country, including West Bengal. However, in the last 10 years, Mamata Banerjee has pushed Bengal into political and state-sponsored violence. One person is murdered in the state every day," he said.

Supriyo said that it was certain that the Mamata Banerjee government would be shown the door in the 2021 state Assembly polls.

"I would pray to God for a long life to Mamata Banerjee, but her political age is going to end in 2021. The BJP will run the state along with the Centre, and will provide good governance," Supriyo said.

The Union Minister went on to allege that Banerjee had set up a bomb factory in West Bengal, and was using Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants as vote-banks.

"The truth is that Mamata Banerjee has built a bomb factory in West Bengal. The way the Left parties established their vote bank by giving ration cards to Rohingya and Bangladeshis, TMC has done the same. There was a time when Mamata Banerjee had said in Parliament that Bangladeshis are a threat to West Bengal, but today she has converted them and Rohingyas into vote banks. Political killings are the USP of Mamata Banerjee's politics," Supriyo said.

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With the BJP not having a specific chief ministerial face in West Bengal, many eyebrows were raised when Prime Minister Narendra Modi included Supriyo in his virtual Durga Puja programme in Kolkata.

However, Supriyo brushed away the inference and said that all leaders in the party work towards their shared ideology, regardless of whether there exists a CM face or not.

On the issue of air pollution in the national capital and surrounding areas, Supriyo, who is the Minister of State for Environment, said that stubble burning alone was not the reason behind the deteriorating air quality.

"Stubble is not the only reason for pollution. To stop the practice of stubble burning, several measures have been taken. The problem has not emerged overnight, an neither will it go away instantly. Only attacking the government will not drive away the problem," he said.

The Union Minister further appealed to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to works closely with the Centre to find a solution to the problem.

"I would also appeal to the people of Delhi to burn only such firecrackers which are not highly-polluting. The government on its part, is doing everything possible to reduce pollution," Supriyo said.

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