Kolkata (West Bengal): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of deactivating Aadhar Cards of the Matua community in her state calling it a "political ploy" ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

"How can they deactivate Aadhaar cards of Matuas? No one knows why? They struck off their names just to consider them as foreigners. After five years they have to listen to slurs that they are foreigners. Then they (BJP) will say that a card will be given to them. This is a political ploy, a play of votes," the Chief Minister said, speaking at a program organised to celebrate International Mother Language Day in Kolkata.

Matuas belong to the Scheduled Caste community in West Bengal.

"We do not believe in Aadhar. There was a terrible conspiracy regarding Aadhar. We have stopped it. This is because this is Bengal. This is not any other place," the Chief Minister said.

"They had planned to implement NRC, to set up detention camps," she further said referring to the BJP's promise to carry out the National Register of Citizens program in West Bengal to determine illegal migrants in the state.

Coming out in support of a Sikh IPS officer who was allegedly called "Khalistani" by some BJP protestors, the Chief Minister asked whether they will now call Muslim officers in the civil service "Pakistanis".

"We respect all religions. How can you call a Punjabi officer wearing a turban Khalistani? So many Muslim officers are IAS, IPS, WBCS officers today. Will you call a Muslim officer Pakistani?" she asked.

The Chief Minister's attack came a day after the Trinamool Congress went berserk after the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari was accused of hurling the 'Khalistani' slur at a Sikh police officer during a protest over Sandeshkhali.

Banerjee said that hurling communal slurs like these has suddenly become a new trend in her state and such people are responsible for maligning Bengal's reputation.
"I have been called various slurs several times. I consider them trivial. It (hurling slurs) has become a new trend suddenly. These are Bengal's biggest stains. They are maligning Bengal's reputation. We wish them well though they are trying to defame us. But we know how to protect Bengal's integrity. We will not bow down," the Chief Minister said.

A Sikh IPS officer was deputed to Dhamakhali to prevent senior West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari from visiting restive Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district, which resulted in confrontations between protesting BJP workers and the police at Dhamakhali.

Earlier, the Chief Minister also attached a video of the verbal spat in which the police officer was seen sternly protesting against the BJP workers for labelling him "Khalistani" for wearing a turban.

West Bengal Police on Tuesday claimed that BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari hurled a 'Khalistani' slur at a Sikh police officer. The police condemned the unprovoked, unacceptable attack on an individual's religious identity and added that stern legal action is being initiated.

In this regard, West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also condemned BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday for allegedly making racial comments about a Sikh IPS officer and demanded that the leader make a public apology.