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TMC played with blood, says PM Modi; Mamata hits back saying BJP’s end is near
Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Tinamool Congress over the poll-related violence in West Bengal
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday slammed the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal over poll-related violence during the recently held panchayat elections alleging that the TMC has played with blood.
“Recently panchayat elections were held in the state. The country witnessed how the TMC played with blood (TMC ne khooni khel khela),” Modi said, while virtually addressing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Kshetriya Panchayati Raj Parishad in West Bengal.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee hit back saying that the Prime Minister has maligned the state.
“The Prime Minister, instead of giving some humanitarian message to the people, has maligned West Bengal while addressing a small, religious programme. Had there been violence, neither 2.31 lakh nominations would have been filed nor would the BJP, CPIM and Congress have won so many seats. The BJP killed 20 TMC workers,” Banerjee said in a recorded statement.
Political clashes erupted in the eastern state soon after the state poll panel announced the dates of the three-tier rural polls on June 8. The opposition claimed that more than 55 persons were killed in poll-related violence, including post-poll clashed.
Modi went on to say how the TMC allegedly threatened and stopped BJP candidates from filing nominations and campaigning.
“They do anything required to ensure that no BJP candidate can file nominations. If at all they filed the nominations, candidates were threatened and stopped from campaigning. They even terrorised voters. Goons are given contracts to capture polling booths. Even during counting, BJP agents were terrorised and sent out of the counting centres,” Modi said.
While polls were held on July 8, counting was held on July 11. At least 18 persons were allegedly killed on the polling day. The TMC swept the elections securing 51.5% of the votes polled. The BJP bagged 23% votes.
Banerjee lashed out at the Prime Minister on multiple fronts including freezing of funds, demonetisation, role of governors, National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
“Only six months are left (for the Lok Sabha polls) and you are sending central agencies to arrest opposition leaders so that you can freely win the polls. You can’t fool all the people with communal politics and by threatening them with central agencies,” she said.
The TMC supremo also attacked the Prime Minister over the proposed law that seeks to exclude the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the panel to appoint the chief election commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners (ECs).
“Do you want to hijack EVMs or manipulate the entire election process? We don’t accept this. INDIA will oust you from power. Your end is near. We would tolerate for six months,” she said.
