On a day the BJP accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of trying to gag the opposition with "brute force", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today made a counter-attack warning opposition parties against engaging in smear campaigns and dared them to fight on development plank.
Apparently irked by a BJP central team's attempt to visit trouble-torn Makra village, the ruling Trinamool Congress today hit out at it with party MP and Mamata's nephew Abhishek Banerjee saying it was the saffron party which was responsible for the October 27 violence that left three people dead.
"We cannot be stopped by smear campaigns. My job is to take everybody along. Those who will oppose, will be thrown away," the chief minister said at a programme at Ganga Sargar, the pilgrim spot in South 24-Parganas district.
"'Sarva Dharma Samanyaya' is our motto. We work for people irrespective of religion and caste... Smear campaign and malicious propaganda will not work. People will give a befitting reply," Banerjee said.
Meanwhile in Kolkata, Banerjee's nephew Abhishek said that the three persons who died in the clash between the two parties at Makra village in Birbhum district belonged to TMC. Abhishek claimed, "There are photos of BJP activists carrying on the attacks with party flags."
Abhishek said any attempt to disturb peace will not be tolerated by the TMC government in West Bengal where "democracy has been restored after 34 years of Left Front rule".
"When Singur (agitation against Tata Motors' aborted Nano car project) happened in 2006 why did no central BJP delegation visit there?" he asked, speaking to PTI.
"Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had said in Kolkata three days ago that peace will prevail in the state and the state government would not allow to disturb it," he added.
