Mamata Banerjee accuses BJP of engineering communal strife in Bengal to win polls

CM Mamata Banerjee today accused the Bhartiya Janta Party of engineering communal strife in the West Bengal to win the ongoing assembly elections.

TMC chief, during address in Raidighi in South 24 Parganas district, also called upon Muslims not to "fall in the trap of a BJP-aided party from Hyderabad and its Bengal ally that are out to polarise votes."

Her jibe was apparently aimed at Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM and Abbas Siddiqui's ISF. Both Owaisi and Siddiqui had earlier denied the TMC's insinuations. The ISF is fighting the elections in alliance with the CPI(M) and the Congress.

The TMC supremo has further urged Hindus to be on the guard against the BJP's attempts to "instigate communal clashes" and called upon them to chase away outsiders sent to foment trouble in their respective localities.

Affirming her Hindu identity, in an apparent attempt to counter the minority appeasement charge against her, Ms Banerjee said, "I am a devout Hindu who recites Chandi mantra every day before leaving home. But I believe in our tradition of giving respect to every religion."

The TMC chief claimed that if elected to power in West Bengal, the BJP will implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), forcing "many citizens to leave".

"They will divide West Bengal and its people. Remember how they deleted the names of 14 lakh Bengalis and 2 lakh Biharis in the updated NRC in Assam," she said.

Mamata Banerjee alleged that central forces are terrorising people at every home 48 hours before polling, asking them to vote for the BJP.

"Don't be intimidated. Mothers and sisters challenge them. We have no problems if the forces act impartially to ensure free and fair elections but if they act on behalf of a particular political party, we will protest," she said.

The chief minister, who is contesting her former lieutenant and BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram, alleged that there were attempts by "outsiders" to rig the elections in the constituency in Purba Medinipur district.