BJP activists threatened to 'skin me alive' for removing pro-CAA flex, alleges Kolkata documentary filmmaker; saffron party denies

Kolkata: A city-based woman documentary filmmaker has alleged that a group of BJP activists had threatened to “skin her alive” after she removed a pro-CAA flex bearing a photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The saffron party, on the other hand, alleged that she had torn the flex and threatened to attack BJP activists, besides bad-mouthing the prime minister. Both sides have filed complaints with the police against each other. [caption id=“attachment_5213891” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Documentary filmmaker Kasturi Basu told PTI on Wednesday that five-six men, most of them outsiders, entered her housing complex in Patuli area of south Kolkata on Sunday night and sought to know the location of her flat. “As I went downstairs on hearing shouts, they threatened to skin me alive for daring to remove a pro-CAA flex and carrying out a house-to-house campaign in the area against CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) for the past one month,” Basu said. Basu, associated with independent filmmakers’ organisation People’s Film Collective, said she had removed a flex supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act as it was put up on the wall of her Muslim neighbour without the landowner’s permission. “I did not remove any other pro-CAA flexes elsewhere but I will fight till death against CAA and the NRC. I will always protest if anyone puts up a flex supporting a divisive law like CAA on the property of a Muslim person,” she said. Basu said that the alleged threats to her were aimed at creating a fear psychosis. Countering Basu’s charges, a senior BJP Mahila Morcha leader alleged that the documentary filmmaker had torn the flex and threatened to attack BJP workers when they demanded an explanation for her action. Another BJP activist, who was present during the incident, claimed they did not go inside Basu’s housing complex but were re-installing the “torn flex”. “Basu came to the spot with some outsiders and snatched the flex from us. She talked to us in a very aggressive manner even though we showed utmost courtesy to her,” the BJP activist said requesting anonymity. An officer of Patuli police station confirmed that they have received the complaints and said they are looking into the matter.