Don't stoke communal tension: Trinamool tells Rajnath

Accusing Rajnath Singh of using a political meeting to "threaten" the West Bengal government, the ruling Trinamool Congress on Thursday said as India's home minister, he should not stoke "communal tension" over the Malda violence.

"You are using a political meeting to threaten the state. Which home minister with a conscience would do that?" Trinamool chief national spokesperson Derek O'Brien said, hours after Rajnath Singh castigating the Mamata Banerjee government over the January 3 violence at Kalichak of Malda district.

Addressing a Bharatiya Janata Party rally at Ashok Nagar in North 24 Parganas district, Rajnath Singh alleged that the state government was trying to shield those who attacked the BSF and torched several of its vehicles and remarked that none, including the police, was safe in West Bengal.

He also asserted that those behind the incident would be unmasked and brought to justice, and warned the state government that only a few arrests will not suffice.

In a strong counter, O'Brien said: "Mr. Rajnath Singh, Malda is your creation.

"As the home minister in the country, your should not be on a mission to stoke communal tension."

He alleged that it was a well-known tactic of the BJP when elections draw near.

"And all this coming from a central government which is running the nation using 'agencies' to pursue its own cynical agenda," he said.

According to reports, protesting against remarks allegedly made to "hurt religious sentiments" in Uttar Pradesh, a large number of people on January 3 went on a rampage in Kaliachak, torching vehicles including those belonging to the Border Security Force (BSF) and also attacked a police station.