No political clash in Birbhum: Mamata

Accusing a section of the media of distorting facts, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday claimed there were no political clashes in Birbhum district as being claimed by the opposition.

Terming "old" the footage of the alleged clashes between activists of the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party aired by news channels, Banerjee asserted there was no violence in Sattore area in the district.

"The man shown in the footage firing from his rifle is wearing a sweater and a shawl. It is evident that the footage are old and a section of the media, in connivance with the opposition, is fabricating things," Banerjee said at the state assembly while presenting the budget of the home department.

She also presented a report by the Birbhum superintendent of police stating there was no incidence of violence in the area.

"A section of the media has been one-sided so much so that I am now apprehensive of speaking. You never know how they will distort my words to suit their claims," she said.

Without taking names, Banerjee - also the Trinamool Congress supremo - slammed state BJP president Rahul Sinha for "advocating use of violence as a political tool".

"The violence unleashed by the Trinamool in Birbhum, the way our people are being attacked across the state, our people have been forced to take up arms and retaliate in self defence," Sinha had said on Wednesday following reports of the alleged clashes.

Banerjee also attacked the Communist Party of India-Marxist led Left Front for staging a walk out denouncing the deteriorating law and order in the state.

"Who are they to talk about law and order? During their 34 years of rule, there was hardly any place where they did not indulge in killings," she said.

Banerjee also defended the CID which is probing the explosion at a cracker factory in West Midnapore's Pingla that claimed 12 lives.

"Don't run down the CID, they have been doing a great work. It's the CID which made arrests in the Ranaghat nun rape case.

"The opposition keeps on clamouring for the National Investigation Agency (NIA), but our police too have been doing a commendable job," said Banerjee referring to alleged rape of a septuagenarian nun in Ranagaht of Nadia district.