Ramdas Athawale slams TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee over 'BJP killing democracy' remark

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, on Monday, lashed out at All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee for accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of 'killing democracy' and said that it was the TMC, instead, that has killed democracy in West Bengal. 

Abhishek, who is also the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had lashed out at the BJP after being summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on 6 September in connection to an alleged coal smuggling case. 

'Democracy is being murdered in West Bengal': Ramdas Athawale

The Republican Party of India (RPI) leader, Athawale, cited alleged attacks on BJP workers in West Bengal and questioned the state's government on its democratic principles.  

"Democracy is being murdered in West Bengal itself. It was through democracy that Mamata Banerjee won the Assembly election in West Bengal, and despite that, there were many attacks on BJP workers there were many murders, who is killing democracy?" the Union Minister said.

Earlier, on Monday, Abhishek Banerjee had alleged that the BJP was trying to silence TMC and asserted "we will fight more vigorously," The public statement came from the TMC leader after he appeared before the ED in the alleged coal smuggling case. Prior to his appearance, Banerjee had said that he will publicly hang himself if anything against him is found in the ongoing investigation. 

"We'll go to every state where they've killed democracy," TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee said.

Reacting to the statement, Ramdas Athawale said that "he can visit all the states he wants to visit, no one is stopping him." 

"Even if he roams all across the country, it is not in TMC's power to face Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Ramdas Athawale said. 

Athwale added that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee got good support from people of West Bengal and should accordingly work to stop hooliganism in the state. "She (Mamata Banerjee) became the chief minister for the third time. But, she should end hooliganism in West Bengal," the RPI leader said. He then claimed that the BJP would have won more seats in West Bengal if the Congress-Left alliance had performed better in the state.

(With inputs from ANI)