Kolkata, 09 March (H.S.) : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rahul Sinha on Sunday criticised the All India Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, alleging that recent developments during the visit of Droupadi Murmu reflected disrespect towards the President and the tribal community.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP’s state headquarters in Kolkata, Sinha claimed that the manner in which the President’s visit was handled by the state administration was unacceptable and amounted to disrespect towards the country’s highest constitutional office. BJP state chief spokesperson Debjit Sarkar was also present at the briefing.

Sinha said that the President had visited West Bengal to attend the International Santhal Conference, which he described as a matter of pride for the state. However, he alleged that the programme’s venue was changed and adequate administrative arrangements were not made, which, according to him, undermined the significance of the event and caused offence to the tribal community.

He further said that despite the situation, President Murmu maintained a restrained tone in her address and even referred to Mamata Banerjee as her “sister.” According to Sinha, instead of expressing regret or ordering an inquiry into the matter, the Chief Minister defended the circumstances surrounding the event.

The BJP leader said that the tradition of respecting guests is deeply rooted in Bengali culture and referred to the principle of “Atithi Devo Bhava,” adding that recent developments had tarnished that tradition.

Sinha also accused the Trinamool government of neglecting the interests of the tribal community and said there had been multiple instances in the past where, according to him, the community had been disrespected.

He said BJP workers would reach out to tribal-dominated regions to raise awareness about the issue and claimed that the party’s outreach programmes, including the Parivartan Yatra, had already reflected growing public demand for political change in the state.

Highlighting initiatives taken by the central government, Sinha said the allocation for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs had been increased in the Union Budget and several programmes were being implemented to promote education, infrastructure and economic empowerment in tribal areas.

Referring to schemes such as Eklavya Model Residential Schools, as well as initiatives aimed at women’s empowerment and micro-credit support, he said efforts were being made to strengthen the socio-economic condition of tribal communities.

Sinha termed the alleged disrespect towards the President and the tribal community “extremely unfortunate” and demanded that the state government issue a public apology. He also called for an inquiry into the incident and appropriate action against the officials concerned.

Responding to political campaigns by the Trinamool Congress, Sinha claimed that people in Bengal were increasingly demanding change and said voters would express their views through democratic means in the upcoming elections.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh