West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday alleged that the BJP government at the Centre was using the panic over coronavirus to divert public attention from riots in Delhi. She also said that a section of television channels was being used by the Centre for this purpose.

Addressing a public rally in Malda district, the Chief Minister said that the panic over coronavirus was being used by the Centre to ensure that people do not ask them as to why so many people were killed in Delhi.

“They are using a section of the television channels to divert the public attention from real issues to panic over coronavirus. They are doing this to ensure that people don’t ask them why so many people died,” said Banerjee.

She further alleged that the “Gujarat model” of riots were used in Delhi and said that it was actually a genocide.

“Has there been such massive riot like the one in Delhi after the Sikh riots. It is totally the Gujarat model. What they did in Gujarat was repeated in Delhi. What happened in Delhi was not a riot but a genocide,” said Banerjee.

She also said that if people had died of coronavirus, there would have been a consolation that despite the best efforts the affected people could not be saved, as there is no treatment for the virus.

Banerjee criticised the BJP for not yet apologizing for the loss of lives due to the riots in Delhi.

“But they did not die of coronavirus. They were killed in a genocide. No one knows actually how many people were killed. Till today BJP has not apologized,” said Banerjee.

Accusing the BJP of demanding CBI inquiries even when minor incidents take place in Bengal, the Chief Minister demanded a judicial investigation under the Supreme Court over the riots in Delhi.

“Even after so many people were murdered no judicial inquiry was conducted. We want a judicial inquiry under the Supreme Court,” said Banerjee.



Reiterating her assertion that she will not allow the CAA, NRC and NPR to be implemented in Bengal the Chief Minister accused the Centre of harassing people in the name of granting citizenship.