Mamata afraid of defeat, killing democracy: Devendra Fadnavis

Launching a blistering attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said that his Bengal counterpart is "scared of her defeat and hence is killing democracy in her state".

Speaking to ANI about clashes during BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday, Fadnavis said, "Democracy is being murdered in West Bengal. The way in which Amit Shah's roadshow was attacked and police's behaviour afterwards, seeing all this I believe that Mamata is scared of her defeat and is killing democracy and doesn't even want to let anyone campaign in the state."

Fadnavis also appealed to the Election Commission to take necessary measures in order to ensure free and fair polls. "I appeal the Election Commission to ensure free and fair polls in the state. Our leaders are not being allowed to campaign, our party workers are being murdered, what kind of democracy is this," he said.

Yesterday, Shah too had condemned the violence at his roadshow and accused "TMC goons of resorting to violence due to frustration".

Clashes reportedly broke out after some miscreants started throwing sticks at his convoy.

The incident took place on College Street here when allegedly some TMC supporters started raising slogans and BJP supporters responded by pelting stones and sticks at the Calcutta University gates, resulting in chaos and mayhem.

Visuals from the scene showed a fire outside the university gates.

Security forces later got down to control the situation. A statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised at Vidyasagar College in the clashes.