Kolkata: TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Friday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for raising questions on security of women in West Bengal, while alleging that BJP leaders were involved in incidents of torture of women.

He cited NCRB report which pronounced Kolkata as the safest city in the country.

"You (PM) come to Bengal and talk big about torture of women and their safety but you have leaders like Brij Bhushan Singh against whom wrestlers had brought sexual harassment charges.

"Modi ji has nominated Singh's son for the Lok Sabha polls from UP... BJP has also given a ticket to the person whose son had driven a car into protesting farmers, killing several of them, in Lakhimpur Kheri. And yesterday, a little sister working at the Raj Bhavan lodged a police complaint against the governor alleging molestation. Do we need to learn about women's safety from these people?" Banerjee said.

The Trinamool Congress national general secretary, while speaking at a rally in Raniganj, also referred to Modi participating in a rally in support of JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who has been accused of sexually abusing women.

Banerjee also criticised Modi for holding rallies with party leaders who are referring to "Bengalis as Rohingyas, Muslims as Pakistanis and Sikhs as Khalistanis".

"Have you noticed their language?... and Modi ji is holding election campaigns making these people sit next to him... those of believe in the politics of hate and division will be ousted from West Bengal," he asserted.

Banerjee also urged Modi to release a "White Paper" detailing the funds allocated by the Centre to West Bengal under the PM Awas Yojana over the past three to four years.

Banerjee said that if Modi could prove that the Centre has provided a single penny to West Bengal for the scheme, he would cease campaigning for TMC candidates in the ongoing Lok Sabha election.

"The central government has conspired not to release funds for the people of West Bengal. I would urge the PM that instead of giving lectures, he must release a 'White Paper' detailing the funds disbursed to the people of West Bengal for the Awas Yojana," Banerjee added. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Republic staff and is published from a syndicated feed)