Bengal BJP's internal conflict reaches flashpoint

Kolkata, Nov 7 (IANS) The internal tiff between two BJP leaders in West Bengal reached a flashpoint when the party's All-India National vice President Dilip Ghosh asked party veteran and former Governor of Tripura Tathagata Roy 'to leave if he was not happy with the leadership'.

Ghosh's outburst came after Roy made a series of attacks on the BJP leadership particularly against Ghosh, party's central observer in-charge of Bengal Kailash Vijayvargiya, and central leader Shiv Prakash and central co-observer Arvind Menon. Roy has targeted the four since the defeat of the party in the recent Assembly polls holding them responsible for the debacle.

Reacting to Roy's scathing attacks on different social platforms for the last six months, Ghosh said, "How many more days you will remain ashamed? Leave the party? There are some people in the party who have done nothing but the party has given them a lot. These people damage the party most. This is the most unfortunate thing". The state leadership has also sent all the controversial tweets and Facebook posts to the central leadership.

Undeterred, Roy, however, said, "Dilip Ghosh will not understand if I say something. This is the problem with uneducated people. I shall not say anything because it will be of no use. So, I prefer to keep my mouth shut. There is no point answering a person who will understand the meaning of what I say".

The state leadership, however, decided to maintain an equal distance from both the leaders in this controversy. Speaking to the media, state BJP President Sukanta Majumdar said, "Both are senior leaders and know their responsibilities very well. It is not correct to react to this issue. The central leadership is keeping a watch on the developments and they will take their decision at an appropriate time".

Senior BJP leader Shamik Banerjee said, "This is very unfortunate and this has been going on for some time. I am not the right person to comment. The central leadership will say at an appropriate time".

Political observers, however, are of the opinion that Ghosh might have got some kind of assurance from the higher-ups and so he has made a statement like this. Interestingly enough there has been no statement from the central leadership as of now. "We must watch and see. We should not have any direct involvement in the whole issue," a senior BJP leader said.

Meanwhile, BJP leader and actor turned politician Joy Banerjee has decided to leave the party. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Banerjee alleged that he had been removed from the BJP's national working committee and his central security had also been lifted.