TMC doesn't believe in political violence; BJP has unleashed violence in Bengal: TMC

The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday said it didn't believe in violence and killings, and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ask the West Bengal BJP leadership to refrain from engaging in violence ahead of the state assembly polls next year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a veiled attack on ruling TMC in West Bengal, saying those who cannot challenge the saffron party democratically have resorted to "murdering" its workers to achieve their goals.

"Maut ka khel" (killing game) cannot get you votes," Modi said in an address to BJP workers at an event in the party's headquarters in New Delhi to mark its victory in Bihar assembly polls and bypolls across the country.

Without naming any party, he said, "Those who aren't able to challenge us in a democratic way, they have taken the path of killing India's workers. In some parts of the country, they think they can realise their goals by killing BJP workers." The TMC, while reacting to the attack, claimed Modi should give the advice to the state BJP leadership as it is the saffron camp which has unleashed violence across the state.

"It is the BJP which is unleashing violence in the state. The TMC, since its inception, has been the victim of political violence first at the hands of the CPI (M) and then the BJP. The TMC doesn't believe in violence. It believes in peace. We would request the prime minister to give his advice to the Bengal BJP unit," TMC MP and spokesperson Sougato Roy said.

The BJP has alleged that many of its workers have been killed by the ruling TMC in the state where it has emerged as a main challenger to the Mamata Banerjee-led party. The TMC has denied it. The saffron party is hoping to come to power in the politically crucial eastern state for the first time by ending Banerjee's 10-year old rule. 

(Image Credits: PTI)