Ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections, political tensions between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and BJP are intensifying. BJP leader Amit Malviya has accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of publicly humiliating India’s gold medal-winning athlete Swapna Barman during a recent event.
The Allegation
Malviya claimed that Banerjee removed a ceremonial scarf (uttariya) already presented to Barman by Siliguri Mayor Gautam Deb and placed it around Barman’s neck herself, which he described as “unjust and humiliating.” He added, “Swapna Barman is a champion who has brought pride to the nation. She deserves respect and dignity, not such a public display of insult. One cannot ignore the question—was this mistreatment because she belongs to the Rajbanshi community?”
Bengal BJP Questions Mamata Banerjee’s Associates
In a separate post, the Bengal BJP raised serious concerns about Priyadarshani Hakim, a close aide of Chief Minister Banerjee and daughter of Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim. The party questioned why Hakim was present inside the SIR hearing center for Ward 77, despite being a resident of Ward 82, and why she was interacting with individuals called for SIR hearings.
The BJP accused her of attempting to influence or intimidate the ERO and AERO, raising concerns over potential pressure to include illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and Rohingyas in the voter list. Citing her father’s political associations and publicly known views, the party said the unauthorized presence undermined the fairness of electoral processes. “Who allowed this breach of election protocol? Political privilege cannot compromise democracy,” the party demanded.
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