Siliguri, 29th August: In a marked display of protest, council members affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chose to abstain from an ongoing board meeting, citing alleged suppression of their voices regarding the escalating criminal activities within the city. The incident transpired on Sunday when BJP councillors felt silenced and obstructed in their attempts to discuss the surge in criminal incidents during the motion phase of the meeting.
The abrupt interruption of opposition leader Amit Jain by Chairman Pratul Chakraborty served as the tipping point, leading to the BJP councillors walking out. Amit Jain expressed strong criticism of the ruling party, accusing them of suppressing crucial discussions on the prevailing crime rates within the city. With the increasing criminal incidents in the state, the BJP councilors were determined to propose stringent measures to combat the escalating violence. However, their repeated efforts to bring this issue to the forefront during meetings were allegedly met with silencing tactics. Consequently, the BJP councilors decided to boycott the meeting.
Jain highlighted that the suppression of such a critical topic could potentially reflect the state government’s willingness to overlook the ongoing crimes. Furthermore, he underscored the state government’s apparent silence regarding recent tragic incidents in the city, likening this attitude to the tragic loss of a girl child’s life.
Meanwhile, Mayor Goutam Deb expressed disappointment over the opposition party’s decision to boycott the board meeting, labeling the situation as unfortunate.