Suvendu Adhikari files FIR against Mamata, Abhishek Banerjee on 'gherao' call

The leader of the opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said on Sunday that he has filed an FIR against the West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee over their call to gherao the residences of BJP leaders throughout the state on August 5.

While addressing the party's annual 'Martyrs' Day' rally on Friday, Abhishek Banerjee had announced this agitation programme so that the BJP leaders would not be able to come out of their homes during that period. Later, in her speech, Mamata Banerjee also said that this demonstration should be conducted at a distance of 100 metres from the residences of the BJP leaders.

Adhikari claimed that he had filed an FIR on this count at Hare Street Police station under Kolkata Police on Saturday evening. "The call for gherao might result in security threats for BJP workers and leaders in the state as well as their family members. So I have filed an FIR for their provocative statements," the leader of the opposition said.

Meanwhile, the other opposition parties in West Bengal like the Congress and the CPI(M) too have condemned the call for gherao of the residences of the BJP leaders and workers. They have claimed that such provocations might result in the security threat of many, including senior citizens and children and are completely against the democratic structure of the country.

Even the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), a leading rights body in West Bengal, has claimed that such things used to happen in Nazi-ruled Germany and agitation targeting opposition leaders and workers is unthinkable and undemocratic. APDR has requested the ruling party to cancel this programme.

APDR, however, has expressed solidarity with Trinamool's cause to stage such protest, which is non-payment of Central dues to the state government under various centrally- sponsored schemes.