Kolkata, 4 August (H.S.):As the Monsoon Session of Parliament enters its final leg, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing up to launch a counter-offensive against the Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s recent allegations of 'Bengali persecution' and the Special Intensive Review (SIR) issue. BJP plans to shift the narrative by spotlighting corruption, rising crimes against women, and instances of communal violence in minority-dominated areas of West Bengal.

Both parties are holding key internal meetings on Monday to finalise their floor strategies. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has convened a virtual meeting with her party's Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members to chalk out TMC’s stance on the SIR and the alleged targeting of Bengalis.

On the other side, a delegation of BJP MPs from Bengal, led by state unit president and Rajya Sabha MP Shamik Bhattacharya, is scheduled to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday. Confirming the meeting, Bhattacharya said it will focus on the prevailing critical issues in the state but declined to elaborate on the agenda.

A senior BJP functionary from the Bengal unit said that the issues being raised by TMC in Parliament are largely Bengal-specific and merit immediate rebuttal. However, logistical challenges often hinder the party’s MPs from being listed to speak every day during the session.

To address this, the BJP delegation will urge the Home Minister to ensure that at least one MP from West Bengal is given an opportunity to speak on the floor daily for the remainder of the session.

The party believes that TMC is using the identity politics of Bengali pride to distract from real and pressing issues. BJP leaders say it is now essential to respond with facts and clarity inside Parliament to expose what they term as TMC’s diversionary tactics.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh