NEW DELHI: Responding strongly to the BJP's allegations, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said the attack on party chief J P Nadda's convoy in the state was a "drama staged to divert attention from the lack of people turning up at his rally."
Claiming lack of support for the BJP in the state, the TMC supremo mockingly said, "They (BJP) have no other work. At times Home Minister is here, other times Chaddha, Nadda, Fadda, Bhaddha is here. When they have no audience, they call their workers for doing nautanki."
Earlier in the day, Nadda's convoy was pelted with stones by alleged TMC workers at Sirakol when he was travelling to Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district to address a rally there. The BJP has alleged that TMC supporters were behind the attack, a charge refuted strongly by Mamata's party.
Wondering why 50 cars were travelling along with Nadda's vehicle, the Trinamool Congress supremo said that only three cars were part of the convoy.
"In your (Nadda's) convoy there were 50 cars, followed by 30 cars of the media and 40 motorbikes," Banerjee, who also holds the Home (Police) portfolio, said at a farmers' rally here.
"So was it planned," she asked, questioning whether a stone was thrown on the last car in the convoy and photos and videos were taken of it for propaganda.
She asked how Nadda's car could be attacked when BJP leaders are protected by central security forces like the CISF, CRPF or the BSF. "You depend on central forces. You provide central police security to so many people without informing the state," she said.
Maintaining that law and order is a state subject, the chief minister said that the Centre is still interfering in it.
"Is it to bulldoze the federal structure (of the country)?" Banerjee asked.
The TMC supremo claimed that the state government is blamed whenever there is any kind of problem.
Banerjee alleged that BJP workers create ruckus in front of her residence or gherao her vehicle whenever she goes to Delhi. "Remember that you can expect respect only when you give it," she said.
(With inputs from agencies)