'BJP's nat'l leaders spreading lies about post-poll violence'

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress (TMC) severely criticised JP Nadda, BJP national president, for making false allegations about post-poll violence in the state.

While addressing the BJP leaders and MLAs at a meeting on Tuesday, Nadda had held the state government responsible for post-poll violence across the state.

Reacting to such claims, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, chief whip of Trinamool Legislature Party in the Rajya

Sabha, said: "Such deliberate lies by a national leader are uncalled for."

Roy said the Election Commission of India had declared the Assembly election in eight phases to ensure peaceful polls.

"To combat violence, CCTV cameras were installed. The post of Special Police Observer was created. Central forces were deployed in huge numbers. The law and order was taken over by the EC from the state government," he said.

However, the EC failed miserably to control violence. Some people had died of violence.

He reiterated that there had been not a single incident of violence after Mamata Banerjee took over as the Chief Minister for the third consecutive time on May 5.

Roy alleged that after failing to win the election, BJP leaders were deliberately trying to malign Mamata Banerjee government deliberately. "The BJP leaders should have talked about pre-poll violence, related incidents during the election and the violence after the government was set up. But they are not doing this and instead the leaders are making false accusations."

Roy said those who had left their homes after the election results were out, apprehending that they would be beaten up, had returned.

"They are living a peaceful life and taking part in social functions. Some BJP leaders had visited one of the houses where a social function was being held and forced the eldest member of the family to accompany them and he was presented before the National Human Rights Commission as a witness."

He also remarked: "BJP should always remember that the people of Bengal have rejected them and given 100 per cent support to Mamata Banerjee."