'Prasad must apologise for remarks'

Kolkata: Kunal Ghosh, Trinamool Congress (TMC) state-secretary on Saturday claimed that the BJP was spreading canard against the Bengal government just to divert the people's attention from burning issues like spiraling cost of fuel and essential commodities.

He was reacting on the statement made by former Union Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad that people were scared to go to the police with complaints and also demanded that all polling booths in Asansol Lok Sabha constituency, where bypolls will be held on April 12, be manned by CRPF personnel to ensure free and fair elections.

Ghosh said: "Before making such sweeping statements against Bengal he (Prasad)should think about the Madhya Pradesh government where the journalists were stripped and paraded. In UP atrocities on women are going up daily and the son of a minister had run over farmers. It is BJP's policy to confuse the people." He also demanded that the BJP leader should apologise for making such statements.

He said the prices of essential commodities are beyond the reach of common men. "Every day the prices of fuel are going up. But the BJP leaders are silent and are putting forward non issues to divert the attention of people." He maintained that before the 2021 Assembly election, the Central BJP leaders had come like daily passengers from Delhi and made statements as if they were coming to power. The people of Bengal are with TMC as they have faith in Mamata Banerjee.