Bengal BJP chief posted a photo of Lalit Jha with Trinamool MLA Tapas Roy. (File)
The Trinamool Congress has hit back at the BJP for sharing a photo of the alleged mastermind of the parliament security breach with a Trinamool MLA. The Trinamool Congress said the photo, that sparked a huge political row, is a "deflection tactic."
The party slammed BJP after Bengal BJP chief Dr Sukanto Majumdar posted a photo of the accused Lalit Jha with Trinamool MLA Tapas Roy on X, formerly Twitter.
"Trying to insinuate that the Trinamool Congress is a part of this conspiracy is.....they have lots to answer for. This is deflection tactic, very unfortunate. The PM should give a statement. Let him say TMC is in collusion. And also let the Home Minister say I will not resign because I have discovered the Trinamool Congress is in collusion." said Bengal Minister Shashi Panja.
The party also demanded a statement from the Home Minister and the Prime Minister in the parliament, citing precedent in the 2001 Parliament attack.
"In 2001, when the Parliament attack happened, exactly three days after the attack, the then External Affairs Minister made a statement in the Rajya Sabha. The Rajya Sabha debated for a whole two days about the issue. The then home minister made a statement. This was also a BJP government. So, why is the home minister so scared of coming to Parliament?" MP Saket Gokhale asked.
The photo has become the latest flashpoint between the two parties. On Thursday, BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malviya demanded a response by party chief Mamata Banerjee over the photo.
"Mamata Banerjee can't remain silent on Lalit Jha's association with her senior party leader Tapas Roy. It is not a surprise that TMC MPs, scared of their party's association emerging with those who breached Parliament security, were creating ruckus. This is a new low even by TMC's low standards," he said
Earlier, West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar had said, "Lalit Jha, the mastermind of the attack on our Temple of Democracy, had been in close association with TMC's Tapas Roy for a long time... Isn't this proof enough for investigation into the connivance of the leader?"
Trinamool MP Saket Gokhale hit back saying asking questions on the involvement of BJP MP Pratap Simha, who issued passes to those intruders. "It is very clear he has misused his position to grant a pass to somebody. He has misused the privilege that he has by giving a pass to intruders without even checking their background and thereby putting the entire Parliament at risk, " he said.
Lalit Jha, the alleged mastermind of the Parliament breach on Wednesday, was on the run but surrendered before the Delhi Police yesterday. He is among the six charged under the stringent anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).