West Bengal doesn't tolerate violence against women, says Mamata Banerjee

After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attacked the Trinamool Congress (TMC) following the death of an 85-year-old mother of a BJP worker on Monday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the state does not tolerate violence against women, adding that Union Home Minister Amit Shah should focus on Uttar Pradesh rather than West Bengal.

"I do not know what happened, I condemn all deaths and I do not support any death. In Bengal, we do not support such deaths. We do not tolerate attacks on our mothers and daughters. Amit Shah tweets and says, 'Bengal ka kya haal hai'. What is the condition in UP? What is the condition in Hathras?" said Mamata while speaking at a public meeting in Nandigram.

She also said why the BJP engages in hooliganism as they know they are facing a defeat in the ongoing assembly elections.

"They (elections) happen on people's vote, an individual decides whom to vote for or not, then why the need for hooliganism? Who does hooliganism? Who does not have any hopes to win? They have lost before they can win, they have lost the match before it began, these people need to do 'gundaraj'," she remarked.

Mamata also said that the petrol pumps belong to the BJP and several illegal things are happening there.

Speaking on her former ministerial colleague-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari, she said: "It is my fault. I never thought that the person to whom I gave the transport, irrigation, environment ministries, made his father the chairman of development in Digha, made his brother the municipality chairman of Kanthi. After doing so much, he garnered so much money, that the BJP asked him to either join their party or face death."

She also warned that the Adhikaris will remain 'na ghar ka na ghat ka' after the elections.

She also said that when the first movement happened in Nandigram, the 'baap-beta' duo could not be seen for the first 10-12 days. They only came after things were under control.

Mamata earlier held a 'padayatra' (roadshow) on a wheelchair, marking the first roadshow here after she was injured in an alleged attack earlier this month.

Nandigram will witness the most high-profile contest in the second phase of the state assembly elections to be held on April 1 with the Chief Minister taking on her former ministerial colleague Suvendu Adhikari, who had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in December last year.

Meanwhile, the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections concluded with an estimated 79.79 per cent voter turnout on Saturday.

In the first phase, 30 seats covering all assembly constituencies from the districts of Purulia and Jhargram and a segment of Bankura, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur went to the polls to decide on the electoral fate of 191 candidates, including 21 women.