Mamata Banerjee at the TMCP foundation day rally in Kolkata on Tuesday. Subham Dutta
A day after three people were killed in Purulia and Malda in clashes over the formation of panchayat boards, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused the BJP of resorting to “the politics of killing”.
A Trinamool Congress worker from Jambani was also found dead in Jhargram on Tuesday.
“After winning just a few seats in Jangalmahal area, the BJP resorted to politics of killing,” the chief minister said, addressing the foundation day rally of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), the student wing of TMC, on Mayo Road. At the event, she had also hailed students and the youth as the country’s future, PTI reported.
TMCP supporters at the rally. Subham Dutta
“Former CPM goons have shifted to BJP and are working for them. They are now trying to create unrest in Jangalmahal, just like they did in Darjeeling Hills. We do not support this politics of killing. One of our workers were killed today in Jambani. If this continues, the law will take its own course,” she added.
The chief minister said her government will not allow the BJP to implement National Register of Citizens (NRC) in West Bengal under any circumstances.
“BJP leaders are saying they will implement NRC here… People in Bengal are bravehearts and they will never allow them to do that. They will be out of power before they can even think of doing something like (that). We are Bengal tigers, we will not tolerate if an Indian citizen is dubbed as a foreigner,” she said.
Mamata alleged that the Centre was using central agencies to silence the Opposition. “Besides using money and muscle power, BJP is using central agencies against opposition parties. Our aim will be to remove the party from power in 2019 Lok Sabha election,” she added.
The chief minister also criticised the BJP for “showing disrespect” to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee by taking out ‘Asthi Kalash’ Yatras. “In the name of showing respect they are actually showing disrespect to him,” she said.