BJP using picture of Bangladesh violence in manifesto: Trinamool

West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Wednesday accused the BJP of using a photograph of violence in Bangladesh in their election manifesto for the coming state Panchayat polls.

In a bid to reinforce its claim that there is lawlessness in the state under the current regime, the BJP manifesto released on Tuesday has used a number of pictures of violence and vandalism, one of which was allegedly of the 2013 Bangladesh violence.

"That is not a photograph of Bengal. They have used a 2013 photograph of Bangladesh in the manifesto and claimed it to be a picture of violence here. No party in the history of Bengal has constantly made such false, malicious and instigating statements. We are ashamed of their actions," Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee told reporters here.

"Such falsehood under the banner of a political party is an insult of democracy in Bengal," he addeed.

The alleged photograph was taken by a news agency and its image description reads as: "Supporters of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) shout slogans near a bonfire during a protest in Dhaka on March 11, 2013."

The BJP, however, claimed that the images portray the real picture from Bengal.

"Our manifesto talks about how lawlessness and violence has taken over Bengal under the current government and how the Chief Minister and the administration are constantly backing the trouble mongers. In several places in the state communal violence took place and the Hindus were attacked like in Bangladesh. In that context the picture was used," state BJP President Dilip Ghosh said.

--IANS

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