Trinamool Congress doing politics over dead bodies, disasters: BJP

BJP on Tuesday accused Trinamool

Congress of doing politics over dead bodies and disasters as in the New Koilaghat complex fire with an eye on votes and having little concern for peoples' sentiments and emotions.

BJP spokesman Shamik Bhattacharya said Railways cannot be blamed for the fire which claimed nine lives on Monday.

He termed as "unfortunate" the comments by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee putting the blame of the devastating blaze on the Railways.

Bhattacharya told reporters that TMC is doing "great injustice" to film icon Mithun Chakraborty with baseless allegations that he was forced to join BJP at gun point.

Bhattacharya said "TMC is doing cheap politics over the bodies of nine persons who perished in the fire in New Koilaghat complex to discredit the BJP-led government at the Centre".

"We also know the modernisation of fire brigade had been delayed in the state by the TMC government. Also modern equipment was not purchased which threw lives of fire brigade personnel and the common man to danger.

"But we(BJP) refrain from doing politics on this issue," he said.

Asserting that unlike in Bengal where the government and TMC party are entwined, BJP does not imply the union government in Delhi and vice versa, the BJP leader said.

Film icon Mithun Chakraborty has been subjected to dishonour by TMC leaders ever since he joined BJP at the Brigade Ground meeting, Bhattacharya said adding "Some of those leaders are also stating BJP put a gun to Mithunda's head to force him to join the party."

"This is not only untrue, but it is an insult and dishonour to a personality like Mithun Chakraborty. Can't he (Chakraborty) have his own, individual opinion? He as an individual, has the right to be associated with the party he likes and with the social campaign he wants to undertake," he said.

Bhattacharya said such insinuations against Chakraborty are in fact an affront to the Bengali pride as it insults scores of fans of the 'Disco Dancer' (a role the actor had essayed in a film with the same name) who had always rushed to the aid of his home state whenever asked.

The BJP leader also alleged that TMC is preparing a list of elderly voters in every booth to ask them not to go to the polling station on the day of voting, while the EC has set the guideline that voters above the age of 80 with co-morbidity should be asked whether they can go to the polling station on the day.

"The TMC is mandatorily asking elderly voters not to go to the polling station and is compiling their list. We have got this information and informed the administration to take steps," he claimed.

Taking a dig at the grand alliance of the Left Front, Congress and Indian Secular Front in the state, Bhattacharya said while it had asserted that it will prevent BJP from coming to power in the coming assembly elections, it is yet to announce the name of alliance candidate for the Nandigram seat.

Banerjee will contest from the seat, where BJP has pitted Suvendu Adhikari against her.

Bhattacharya cautioned against the Congress and LF's attempt to "indulge forces like Abbas Siddiqui (ISF chief) who wants to take Bengal back to the situation that existed in 1946".

He said, "BJP will come to power and prevent any bid to communalise the situation and polarise the state.