Mamata Banerjee turns down invite over political murder claims

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Pic/AFP

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will not attend the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, after rejecting the BJP's claim that scores of saffron party workers were killed in violence perpetrated by her TMC.

Her announcement on Twitter came in apparent remonstrance after the families of over 50 BJP workers allegedly slain by her party were taken by train to New Delhi to attend the swearing-in ceremony. Banerjee had, on Tuesday, received an invitation and told reporters she would attend the event as a matter of "constitutional courtesy".

However, after it transpired that kin of over 50 BJP workers, who were killed allegedly in political violence in Bengal in the past one year, have also been invited, Banerjee said she will not attend as the "occasion to celebrate democracy should not be devalued to score political points".

"Congratulations, new Prime Minister, Narendra Modi ji. It was my plan to accept the 'Constitutional invitation' and attend the oath-taking ceremony. However in the last one hour, I am seeing media reports that the BJP are claiming people have been murdered in political violence in Bengal.

"This is completely untrue. There have been no political murders in Bengal. These deaths may have occurred due to personal enmity, family quarrels and other disputes; nothing related to politics. There is no such record with us," she wrote on Twitter.

Banerjee said she, therefore, was "compelled" not to attend the ceremony. "The ceremony is an august occasion to celebrate democracy, not one that should be devalued by any political party which uses it as an opportunity to score political points. Please excuse me," she added.

Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh reacted sharply, insisting over 100 political killings had taken place in the state under Banerjee. "Our young workers are being killed and hanged from trees. Over 100 political killings have taken place during Banerjee's rule."

100
No. of 'political murders under TMC rule'

Monirul Islam

Another TMC MLA joins BJP, 6 more in line to switch sides
In another blow for Trinamool Congress, its MLA Monirul Islam on Wednesday joined the BJP, the third legislator to desert the ruling party in West Bengal after the reverses in the Lok Sabha elections. Two TMC MLAs and more than 50 councillors had joined the saffron party on Tuesday. The BJP projected the decision of Trinamool's Muslim MLA to join the party as a vindication of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwash" (together with all, development for all, trust of all). The BJP claimed that six more Trinamool MLAs and a few former MPs of Mamata Banejee's party are also likely to join the saffron party soon. "Six TMC MLAs are likely to join us soon. Many more councillors of various municipalities are also in line. Just wait and watch," a senior BJP leader said. Of the six MLAs, four are from south Bengal and two from north Bengal, he added.

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