TMC accuses PM of spreading misinformation, BJP of peddling religious terrorism

Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) today accused him of spreading "misinformation" against its government in West Bengal and alleged that the BJP was running a syndicate that "peddles religious terrorism".

Soon after Modi launched a no-holds-barred attack on the Mamata Banerjee government at a Midnapore rally charging it with "throttling democracy" and running a "syndicate raj" in the state without whose approval nothing moves, the TMC came out with an equally scathing counter-offensive, warning the BJP leaders "not to play with fire".

A statement, jointly issued by TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee and its leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O' Brien, alleged that it was the BJP which was running a "syndicate" of "lynching".

"Syndicate. Who knows better than the BJP leaders about syndicate? Your party is a syndicate that peddles religious extremism. Your party is a syndicate for fanatics. Your party is a lynching syndicate.

"Your party is a torture syndicate. Your party is a syndicate for agencies. Your party is a syndicate which created notebandi (demonetisation). Your party is a syndicate of corruption. So, BJP leaders should not play with fire, " the statement said.

The TMC claimed the BJP leaders do not have a development agenda.

"Try as you may to harass us with your agencies, we will not bow down to any BJP syndicate. Bengal is for all. It is the cultural capital of the world. The BJP leaders speech proved that they have no development agenda at all," the statement said.

Countering the allegations of farmers suicide in Bengal as "completely baseless", the statement cited a Parliamentary report on farmer suicide across the country where the figure in Bengal was zero.

The TMC claimed that the public meeting addressed by Modi was attended mostly by people from neighbouring states like Jharkhand and Odisha, and that vehicles from Patna were also spotted.

"There were hardly any locals or farmers. There was a lot of corporate money spent for this political meeting," the ruling party in West Bengal alleged.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been severely critical of the Modi Government policies. She has been at the forefront of efforts to unite the opposition parties to oust the BJP at the Centre in the 2019 general elections.

The BJP, which was only an also-ran till some years back, has made substantial improvement in its vote share in recent bye-elections in the state.