Mamata should change her name because she has no affection: Shyam Jaju

Senior BJP leader Shyam Jaju on Thursday hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying she was scared as her party was facing defeat in Lok Sabha polls and was trying to "throttle" democracy.

The BJP and Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) are engaged in a bitter and violent confrontation in the ongoing polls, with both sides attacking each other in a no-holds-barred political situation in the state.

"Banerjee has lost her mental balance due to the apprehension of her party's defeat in these elections. It is the basic right of every person and party to participate and hold road show, rally, campaign for elections. She is trying to throttle democracy for her selfish vote bank politics," Jaju said in a statement, referring to violence during BJP president Amit Shah's road show in Kolkata.

He alleged that by vandalising the statue of social reformer Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, the Trinamool Congress tried to defame Shah's road show.

"Mamata should change name because her behaviour and method of politics do not match her name as she lacks affection (mamata)," Jaju said.

Banerjee has been at the forefront of attacking the BJP and its top leaders, including Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the ongoing elections.

Addressing an election rally on Thursday, she attacked the BJP saying vandalising statues was one of its habits.

"The BJP has destroyed 200-year-old heritage of West Bengal, those supporting the party will not be accepted by the society," she warned.

The attacks and counter-attacks between the two parties have picked up pace before the last round of Lok Sabha polls due on May 19.