Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has made it compulsory for BJP leaders to obtain an RT-PCR negative report before visiting the eastern Indian state. The firebrand Bengal chief minister said that BJP leaders were worsening the pandemic in the state by their frequent visits.
Addressing a news conference, Banerjee said, “Now if ministers come, they’ve to get an RT-PCR negative report, even for special flights. The rule should be the same for all. COVID is increasing because of BJP leaders coming here again & again.”
Banerjee, who won a historic third-term in office by winning a landslide in the just-concluded assembly polls, was referring to the recent visits of BJP President JP Nadda and junior foreign minister, V Muraleedharan to Bengal.
While Nadda had claimed that BJP workers were beaten by Trinamool Congress supporters after the Hindutva party’s defeat, Muraleedharan too had alleged attack on his convoy during his visit to Bengal.
Sharing a video of the alleged attack, Muraleedharan had tweeted, “TMC goons attacked my convoy in West Midnapore, broken windows, attacked personal staff. Cutting short my trip.”
Many had, however, wondered how the junior foreign minister was able to film the attack.
The BJP has had to face widespread condemnation for using fake videos to accuse the Trinamool Congress of attacking its workers in the aftermath of the election results. In one fake video, the BJP had used a photo of an India Today journalist declaring him dead. The journalist had to make a public declaration saying that he was still alive.