BJP Slams WB Govt Over Dining Halls in Schools With 70% Muslims
West Bengal BJP President Ghosh asked: “Why this discrimination between the students on the basis of religion?”
West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh on Friday, 28 June, slammed the state government for its directive on the construction of dining rooms in state-run schools with seating arrangements for the more than 70 percent minority students they have, in Cooch Behar district.
He questioned if a “malafide motive” was driving the “segregation”.
Uploading a copy of the circular on his Twitter, Ghosh asked: “Why this discrimination between the students on the basis of religion? Is there some other malafide motive behind this segregation? Another conspiracy?”
No government official was immediately available for comment.
‘Had No Knowledge of This’: Mamata Banerjee
The TMC later issued a clarification wherein they quoted the CM as saying, “I had no knowledge of this. This was an old circular which had already been withdrawn. I think some errant officer dredged out an old circular and issued it without the government's knowledge.”
Meanwhile, senior TMC Leader and Minister of State for Minority Affairs Giasuddin Mollah dismissed the allegations as baseless and defended the decision by saying that the ongoing project is for the benefit of all students.
Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly and senior Congress Leader Abdul Mannan criticised the state government over the order, saying that segregation on the basis of religion cannot be done.
Senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “Students cannot be discriminated on the basis of religion. If a dining hall is being created it should be for all. We condemn such move.” Ghosh alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government is only interested in working for the development of Muslims in the state.
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