BJP to apprise PM Narendra Modi about 'lawlessness' in Bengal, angry Mamata Banerjee hits back

Kolkata Expressing concern over political violence in West Bengal the BJP on Sunday attacked the Trinamool Congress government over the issue and said it will apprise Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the lawlessness in the stateWest Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has reacted sharply to BJPs accusation of lawlessness in the stateReacting strongly Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the party which leads the central government of provocation and threatened to adopt a tit for tat approachA Bharatiya Janata Party delegation led by party vice president Balbir Punj and MP Kirti Azad during the day visited Ilambazar in Birbhum district where one of its workers was killed earlier in the month allegedly by Trinamool goonsUnder the Trinamool there is lawlessness and mindless violence in Bengal Innocent and poor people including those from the minority communities are being targeted just because they are not from the ruling party Punj said after the visitClaiming that 157 political killings have taken place and 35 political activists have been compelled to commit suicide since the Banerjee government came to power in 2011 Punj said the team will submit its report to party president Rajnath Singh and also apprise the prime minister about the lawlessness in BengalSuch killings are a blot to democracy and BJP will no more tolerate such killings he addedThe BJP earlier in May had sent a similar team to Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas where 26 of its activists were injured in an attack engineered allegedly by the Trinamool activistsThe team in its report to Rajnath Singh has accused the Trinamool of patronising and harbouring Bangladeshi fundamentalists to unleash a reign of terror in BengalReacting angrily over the BJP teams visit Banerjee charged the central government with interference and accused the BJP of joining hands with the Communist Party of IndiaMarxist CPIM to create unrest in BengalIt seems the party at the centre does not want to cooperate Joining hands with the CPIM the BJP has been giving provocation and trying to disturb law and order and create communal tensions in Bengal she saidThe Centre should not interfere in our work Our courtesy should not be misinterpreted as weaknessIf the Centre doesnt want to cooperate then we too can do the same We will take a tit for tat approach and send a Trinamool team to the BJPruled states whenever there is any issue there said BanerjeeThe chief minister also accused the BJP and CPIM of being involved in the Saturday killing of four Trinamool activists in South 24 Parganas district and the death of jute mill owner in Hooghly district Sunday who was assaulted by mill workersReacting to Banerjees charges Azad wondered why the chief minister was not taking steps to prevent the rampant political violence in the stateWhen she is admitting that violence is taking place then why isnt she taking action Instead of pointing fingers at us she should question herself why her party men are snatching away democratic rights of the people of supporting a political party of their own choice Azad told IANSShe is not the chief minister of Trinamool rather the entire state Isnt it her duty to look after people belonging to other parties We humbly urge her to take action so this mindless violence is stopped and people can come out of the shadow of fear and violence he added