BJP Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh on Sunday threatened a repeat of the Sitalkuchi firing everywhere if “naughty boys” did not behave themselves.

“Gone are the days of the politics of fear. Stand in queue and cast your vote. The central forces will be present at the booth; we are here,” Ghosh told a rally at Baranagar on the northern fringes of the city.

“Aar jodi barabari korey, Sitalkuchitey dekhechhen ki hoyechhe. Jaygaye jaygaye Sitalkuchi hobey (If they cross the limits, you’ve seen what happened in Sitalkuchi. There will be a Sitalkuchi everywhere).”

Ghosh said those who had died in CISF firing in Sitalkuchi were “dushtu chhele (naughty boys)”.

He claimed that women have been unable to step out of their homes under Trinamul’s rule.

“If you complain, Didi will say they are naughty boys. Where have so many naughty boys come from? These naughty boys were shot in Cooch Behar’s Sitalkuchi yesterday,” he said.

“Sobey shuru hoyechhe. Jara bhebechhey kendriyo bahini bondukta dekhanor jonyo niye eshechhe, tara bujhe giyechhe oi gulir gorom kemon. Sara Banglaye eta hobey (It’s just a start. Those who thought the central forces had brought their guns only for show, they have realised how searing those bullets are. This will happen across Bengal).”

Several BJP leaders said in private that Ghosh had made these comments to press ahead with the agenda of polarisation in the constituencies that are yet to vote.

BJP leaders realise that it’s difficult for their party to win seats where Muslims make up more than 40 per cent of the population. Their objective is to consolidate the Hindu vote in the BJP’s favour in constituencies where the minority vote share is below 40 per cent.

Responding to Ghosh’s speech, Trinamul MP and spokesperson Saugata Roy said: “It’s beneath humanity to speak like this.”

Roy said his party would report Ghosh’s speech to the poll panel.