North 24 Parganas (West Bengal) [India], December 27 : Trinamool Congress MP Sougata Roy on Saturday mounted a sharp attack on Union Minister Giriraj Singh over his remark on illegal immigration in West Bengal.
Speaking to reporters in North 24 Parganas, Roy said, "Giriraj is a third-class person. Mamata Banerjee is the Chief Minister of Bengal, but even the people of Bangladesh trust her to protect the minorities."
Targeting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari over his remarks that Mamata Banerjee is CM for only four months, Roy further added, "Suvendu Adhikari is an MLA for only four months; he won't win after that."
Earlier in the day, Union Minister Giriraj Singh criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of "supporting Bangladeshi infiltrators" in the country.
Giriraj Singh's stark criticism came amid the recent killing of two Hindu men in Bangladesh, raising concern over the violence against minorities.
"Mamata Banerjee wants to transform Bengal into Bangladesh for politics. On one hand, Hindus are being persecuted in Bangladesh; on the other hand, Mamata Banerjee is giving employment to Bangladeshi infiltrators. This should be investigated. She wants to be the CM of Bangladeshis," he said.
Earlier, BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli lashed out at Trinamool Congress (TMC) enquiring about the steps it is taking against illegal immigrants in the backdrop of attacks against minorities in Bangladesh.
"Any case of lynching is terrible, and strict action has to happen against the accused. However, now that TMC has spoken. Perhaps, they can let the nation know what they are doing in West Bengal to remove illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, they must tell," Kohli told ANI.
The lynching of two Hindu Bangladeshis sparked a massive political row in India, with protests erupting in West Bengal and Assam demanding accountability from the neighbouring country's government.
Multiple organisations, mostly pro-Hindu activists in saffron-clad clothes, dominated the streets of Kolkata on Friday, demanding that the atrocities being committed against minorities, especially Hindus, be stopped.
India has raised serious concerns over repeated incidents of violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists and said it is closely monitoring the situation in the neighbouring country.
Briefing the media in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Indian government was disturbed by the sustained hostility faced by minority communities.
"India is closely monitoring developments and has expressed grave concern over the continued hostility of minorities, including Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists. We condemn the recent killing of a Hindu youth in Mymensingh and expect that the perpetrators of the crime will be brought to justice," Jaiswal said.
Placing the issue in a broader context, the MEA pointed out that more than 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities have been recorded during the tenure of Bangladesh's interim government.
These incidents include killings, arson, and land grabbing."These incidents cannot be brushed aside as mere media exaggerations or dismissed as political violence," the spokesperson said.