Kolkata: Expressing her anguish over the continued atrocities on minorities and bitterness in bilateral relations, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday termed riots as the "handiwork of anti-social elements".
"Hindus don’t start riots, neither do Muslims. Riots are always a handiwork of anti-social elements," she told the Assembly.
Responding to a question on the state's health condition, she portended, "Someone is saying they can cross over and capture Bengal, Bihar, Odisha. I want to tell them to please remain safe and healthy. Nobody has got this sort of right. If someone wants to cross over and try to capture Bengal or Bihar, will we be having lollipops?"
Without naming any person or party, she said, "Fake videos are being circulated by one political party. Those who are trying to reap some political dividend out of it should know they will eventually be tarnished. The colour of blood is the same for a Hindu or a Muslim. A section of the media is also distorting facts, but we don’t want to arrest anyone like in Uttar Pradesh or some other states. We appeal to everybody that peace should be maintained at all costs".
Expressing a note of caution to her party colleagues, she said, "Whatever bad is happening with the minorities in Bangladesh, is unfortunate. But, we cannot comment on how politics will be practised in another country. We should never say anything anywhere that incites violence or foments temper".
In her earlier remarks in the Assembly, she sought the deployment of the UN peacekeeping mission in the eastern neighbour to control and stop attacks on minorities. She also sought the intervention Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister.
Today, however, the Chief Minister reminded the Assembly of her party’s and the government’s official stand on Bangladesh and said during the ongoing Winter Session, "The matter of Bangladesh is between two nations and the Centre is the appropriate body to deal with it. Today the foreign secretary will be there (in Dhaka) to discuss several issues. Let us see what comes out of it. We will not take sides in this issue. Our policy is to follow the foreign policy of the Centre".
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