The Delhi Police may have turned a blind eye to the provocative slogans chanted by BJP leaders in the national capital that led to the recent bloodbath claiming 46 lives. But, the Kolkata Police have decided to show zero tolerance to similar slogans chanted by BJP workers at a recent rally addressed by Home Minister Amit Shah in the state capital of West Bengal.
The Kolkata Police have arrested three workers from the BJP’s legal cell for chanting Goli Maaron Saalon Ko (shoot the traitors). The three arrested individuals are identified as 55-year-old Surendra Kumar Tiwari, 71-year-old Dhruba Basu, and Pankaj Prasad whose age is not known.
Confirming the news, Murlidhar Sharma, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) said, “Yes, three persons were arrested and today they will be produced before a city court.”
Videos of BJP workers chanting the slogan while carrying their party flags had gone viral. The police arrested them soon after an FIR was registered against them late in the night at the New Market police station in Kolkata.
According to News18, police nabbed the three BJP workers after identifying them by watching CCTV footage. They were picked up from their houses on early Monday morning and booked under Sections 505, 506, 34 and 153A of the IPC.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was quoted by news agency ANI as saying, ” In Delhi, BJP leaders who gave provocative slogans have not been arrested, but I got three of the BJP workers arrested (on charges of raising ‘desh ke ghaddaron ko…’ slogans in Kolkata) last night.”
Unlike the Kolkata Police, the Delhi Police have refused to act against BJP leaders Kapil Mishra and Anurag Thakur even after the Delhi High Court slammed their conduct.
Both Mishra and Thakur along with Parvesh Varma are accused of inciting a Hindutva mob to go on a killing spree during the recent anti-Muslim carnage in Delhi. The Delhi Police remained a mute spectator and defied calls to book these BJP leaders. The judge, who slammed the role of the Delhi Police was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court last week.
At least 46 people lost their lives in the pogrom with thousands being forced to flee from their homes for safety.