'Self-Funded Visit': NDTV Tracks Man In Mamata Banerjee's 'Outsider' Video

After the strong room standoff erupted in Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee played a viral video to allege that “outsiders” from Gujarat were being brought in to influence the election. Now, NDTV has tracked down Deep Prajapati, the man in that video, and he has a very different version of events.

NDTV located Prajapati in Surat, where he issued his response to the allegations, even as the All India Trinamool Congress intensified its claims of electoral interference by "outsiders".

Prajapati said his visit to West Bengal was self-funded and aimed at documenting what he described as the "ground reality" of the state.

He stated that the money for his travel came from his parents, using funds originally set aside for his marriage. While he acknowledged his support for the BJP's ideology and said he had local contacts, he insisted he was not acting on behalf of the party.

Referring to the video in which he is seen stopping a Trinamool Congress vehicle, Prajapati said he acted on suspicion and claimed that the local police did not clarify the vehicle's contents. He added that he trusted central forces to maintain order.

The Trinamool Congress, however, has maintained a sharply different position, describing the presence of such individuals as part of a broader pattern.

In a statement, the party alleged that the BJP had brought in people from outside the state to create disturbances and stage a "media spectacle".

It warned that any attempt to interfere with the electoral mandate would be met with strong resistance.

The issue of "outsiders" has emerged as a key point of contention in the ongoing election campaign.

Prajapati, for his part, said he believed change was needed in West Bengal and cited concerns over governance and security as reasons for his visit.

Meanwhile, the TMC has reiterated its position that it will not allow any external interference in the electoral process.

The Election Commission of India has rejected allegations of strongroom breaches, but the political confrontation over the issue continues as counting approaches.

With inputs from Amit Thakur