Reacting sharply on the arrest of BJP youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma on Monday denounced 'TMC's politics of hatred and violence' and asserted that 'this kind of politics is neither good for the state nor for the country.'
Intensifying attack on Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government, Sharma invoked examples of verbal attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said: "In West Bengal, such kinds of things have been going on for long. Even Modi ji is called 'Chor,' liar, expired and all, but we did not take any action against anyone. This is because we believe that in politics there must be open debate and discussion. The opposition has an important role. But in West Bengal, they (TMC) are trying to scare our workers and indulging in a politics of violence or hatred. It is neither in favour of country, nor West Bengal."
He also criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her statements against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said: "Prime Minister Modi calls her 'didi,' but Mamata calls him a liar and says will tie him in a rope and put him inside the jail. What kind of language is this and what does she want to prove. I believe people of West Bengal will bring a change this time."
Priyanka Sharma, the convenor of the Bharatiya Janata Party's youth wing in Howrah was arrested for sharing a morphed image of Banerjee.
Commenting further on denial of permission to BJP president Amit Shah for holding a rally in Jadavpur, Sharma said: "This is shameful. Denying landing permission to chopper of a national party's president having the government in the Centre is very shameful. The situation is very bad if we cannot come and go freely in parts of our country."
BJP has accused the West Bengal government of cancelling an election rally of Shah. "In West Bengal, the dictatorship of Mamata Banerjee is continuing. Today, we had a rally of our party chief in Jadavpur and an application was submitted for it 4-5 days back, but last night we were denied permission. There is no reason for it", Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Monday.