Kolkata/Kharagpur: Senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh on Thursday claimed that if his party comes to power in poll-bound West Bengal, police would undergo a complete transformation and start conducting “Uttar Pradesh-style encounters” against criminals.
Addressing an election campaign in his old turf of Kharagpur, the former BJP state president alleged that police in West Bengal currently function at the behest of the ruling Trinamool Congress and fail to act against criminals and “mafias”.
“After May 4, everything will change. The police you see today sitting and having tea with mafias and acting as ‘chamchas’ of corrupt leaders will change their character. The same police will conduct encounters in the style of Uttar Pradesh and put criminals behind bars,” Ghosh said.
His remarks soon sparked a political row with the ruling TMC accusing the BJP of openly endorsing extra-judicial violence.
However, Ghosh responded to the criticism saying he had long fought “goons and mafias” in Kharagpur and would continue to do so.
“I have fought many battles against goons and mafias in Kharagpur, and I will fight again. But perhaps that will not be necessary this time. Once the BJP comes to power, everyone involved in crime will be caught and sent to jail,” he said.
Ghosh, who represented Kharagpur Sadar in the assembly from 2016 to 2019, has once again been fielded by the BJP from the constituency. The seat holds significance for the party, as it was among its early political footholds in West Bengal during its expansion beyond traditional strongholds.
Projecting himself as a strong leader with grassroots backing, Ghosh said his approach to politics in the industrial town has always been direct and confrontational.
“Cases were filed against us alleging we threatened people with weapons. But if someone gets scared, Ghosh will obviously scare him. Why should you be afraid? If you have courage, come face-to-face. If they can loot, steal and intimidate voters with the help of police, why can’t we challenge them?” he said.
“I have always done politics by surprising my opponents. The people of Kharagpur voted for me because of that, and they will vote for me again,” he added.
