BJP demand an insult to Bengal: CM

Kolkata: Coming down heavily on the BJP's demand that all polling stations in the state should be declared "super sensitive", Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said the leaders of the saffron party were suffering from "psychological disorder and are up to insult Bengal. The BJP can't win a single seat in Bengal and that is why they are trying to hide behind the Central Forces."

She also vehemently opposed the BJP's demand to depute a media observer in Bengal and said that it was a direct intervention in the freedom of the Press in the state. Replying to questions from reporters after holding a marathon meeting with the 42 Lok Sabha candidates at her Kalighat residence, she said: "BJP has insulted the people of Bengal and I want to ask what has prompted them to make this demand. Why BJP is so much against Bengal?" she said. The Chief Minister further added: "Earlier, there were great BJP leaders but the party is now being ruled by some vagabond leaders who speak lies round-the-clock."

Sarcastically suggesting the BJP to deploy one para-military personnel behind every voter, she said even then the TMC will emerge victorious in all the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

"How are they preparing the list of sensitive booths? Since we are fighting (BJP president) Amit Shah and (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi, Bengal is being targeted. The Election Commission should act impartially," the Trinamool Congress chief said.

Banerjee maintained that in Kerala there had been political clashes recently but the elections will be held in a single phase. She also added that in Tripura during the Panchayat elections, the candidates had won uncontested in 98 percent seats. "Nobody raised any questions then. In the Panchayat elections in Bengal, our party workers got killed by BJP goons," she said.

She added that in Bengal, BJP is extremely scared as it is losing ground very fast and has taken "recourse to lies and only lies." She said over 40 lakh people coming from different parts in the country had visited Gangasagar. Lakhs of people come to Kolkata during the Durga Puja. "But in both the events, not a single untoward incident has happened," she said and added: "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. Law and order is a state subject and BJP is behaving as if there is there is President's Rule in Bengal."

She said by raising the demand for media observer in the state, the BJP has intervened in the freedom of the Press. "Most of the national television channels have been purchased. The BJP is now trying to gag the Press in Bengal. The people in Bengal are very sensitive and they are not going to tolerate BJP's highhandedness."

Banerjee held a meeting with all the 42 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls. She instructed them to go to the masses and go all out against the BJP. The TMC supremo added that she would start her campaign after Holi.