TMC hits back at PM Modi; asks not to lecture them on

The Trinamool Congress Tuesday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi by saying BJP should stop lecturing it on "democratic rigts" as BJP itself has destroyed democracy and institutions in the country.

TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee took a dig at BJP"s defeat in three Hindi heartland states by saying that the BJP has got a taste of "democracy" in last few elections.

"The BJP should not lecture us on democracy and democratic rights. As BJP itself has destroyed democracy and institutions in this country. The BJP itself don't have any respect for democracy or constitution," Chatterjee said.

Chatterjee's commnet comes in the backdrop of the Prime Minister's Office tweet, quoting Modi, "What has happened in West Bengal. A political party (the BJP) is being denied a basic democratic right. Our workers are brutally killed in West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka. Politics of violence has to end. All parties have to reaffirm their commitment to peaceful politics,".

Quoting from Modi's interview, broadcast by various TV channels, the PMO tweets covered a wide range of issues, including demands for a Ram temple in Ayodhya, Urjit Patel's resignation as RBI governor, demonetisation, mob lynching and BJP's defeat in three Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh.

The BJP is lecturing us on democracy when they themselves has destroyed the economy by implementation of GST and demonetization in the country, Chatterjee said.

The BJP and TMC, which is a ruling party in Bengal, are at loggerheads over BJP's proposed Rath Yatra in the state.

Modi's commets comes at a time when the Bengal BJP unit has been unable to take out any of its three-phase Rath yatra rallies, being called the Save Democracy Rally in Bengal after the state government denied permission to the party to hold it.

The BJP has moved court and the matter is presently subjudice.