WhatsApp chat opens Pandora's Box for West Bengal BJP; party denies allegation

A WhatsApp chat has put West Bengal into the eye of a new political storm. The chat that has been circulated widely in social media allegedly shows BJP members conspiring to bring more people to Cyclone Yaas relief centres, and thereby increasing Covid-19 cases in the state. This has opened a war of words between the TMC and the BJP.

Kolkata:A WhatsApp chat attributed to the Purulia district BJP allegedly shows the party's members conspiring to throng relief centres setup for victims of Cyclone Yaas and thereby expecting a surge in COVID-19 cases has gone viral.

The ruling TMC pounced on the contents of the chat and said some BJP heavyweights, including some legislators and parliamentarians, are part of this WhatsApp group.

A group member named Vidyasagar Chakraborty said, "It will be good to rehabilitate more people in relief centers. The more the people in a given room, the higher are the chances of them contracting and spreading COVID-19. Then, the government will be in trouble."

Another member, who goes by the name 'Jyotirmoyada MP', said," I will ask the Central Government to pass on this information to the media. We need to tell our workers to get more photos and videos captured."

Meanwhile, the TMC said the saffron party is using COVID-19 as a weapon to dethrone the newly-elected government.

"The BJP lost the Assembly election and now its party leaders are planning such activities in West Bengal so that they can dismantle the government at any cost," TMC spokesperson of Purulia district Nabendu Mahali said.

ETV Bharat has not verified the authenticity of the Whatsapp chat.

The screenshot which has gone viral reads: "We should do whatever our party wants us to do," and "We have to obey the party's decision... so I am with the party."

BJP MLA Narahari Mahato refuted the allegation.

12,000 cases in a day

West Bengal registered a total of 12,193 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, as per data from the state government. With this, the cumulative count of cases of the infection in the state reached 13,43,442. The state also saw 19,396 recoveries and 145 deaths in the last 24 hours.