New Delhi, Ahead of the Bengal Assembly elections, “equating” the state with Kashmir by the state BJP chief has given birth to new controversies in the poll-bound state.Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Wednesday called the state a “second Kashmir” and said there were more terrorists in Bengal than in Kashmir.”All terrorists are being arrested from Bengal. It is more than the number of terrorists arrested in Kashmir. All terrorists have taken shelter in Bengal. Arrests (of terrorists) were made twice from Murshidabad. Bengal has become second Kashmir,” said Ghosh while addressing BJP workers at Suri in Birbhum.The comment drew sharp reactions from Trinamool Congress, CPM and Congress who criticised the state BJP chief for referring to Bengal and Kashmir in the “same breath.””He spoke like Kangana Ranawat, who had in the past likened Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. People had then asked her to leave Mumbai. I am also asking Dilip Ghosh to leave Bengal,” Trinamool MP Sougata Roy said.Bengal Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim claimed that Ghosh was tarnishing the image of Bengal for petty vote-bank politics.
“Terrorism has gripped their mind,” the Minister maintained.After bagging Bihar with JD(U), the BJP is facing the “crucial” electoral battle in the Bengal Assembly elections, scheduled to be held in April-May,2021.