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TMC Calls MHA Advisory A 'Ploy To Grab Power', As Bengal Governor Meets Modi, Amit Shah

In a letter to Shah, the TMC said the MHA had drawn conclusion without verifying the ground reality or taking a report from the state government.
Police stand guard at the scene of the gun battle in Sandeshkhali in West Bengal.
STR via Getty Images
Police stand guard at the scene of the gun battle in Sandeshkhali in West Bengal.

While the Home Ministry in an advisory to the West Bengal government had expressed “deep concern” over the continuing post-poll violence in the state and asked it to maintain law and order, the Trinamool Congress said in a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah said that the advisory was a “deep-rooted conspiracy” and an “evil ploy to grab power”.

TMC secretary general and West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee said in the letter that the Ministry of Home Affairs has drawn conclusions without verifying the ground reality or taking a report from the state government.

Mamata Banerjee, speaking to the media on Monday also said, “Centre, BJP cadres trying to incite violence in West Bengal. They (BJP) know nobody can speak against them as bravely as me. That’s why they are trying to throttle my voice.”

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“We, on behalf of the Trinamool Congress, lodge our strong objection to the advisory issued by the MHA and urge that the same be withdrawn forthwith,” he said.

Criticising the advisory, Chatterjee said, “We have reason to believe that it is an evil ploy to grab power in states run by parties politically opposed to the BJP. Moreover, this is a deep-rooted conspiracy and game plan to malign the state government and capture the Bengal administration through undemocratic, unethical and unconstitutional means.”

The advisory came a day after BJP and TMC workers clashed in Sandeshkhali area of North Parganas district.

Meanwhile West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah on Monday morning. NDTV reported that Tripathi had briefed the PM and the home minister on the “situation in Bengal”.

On Sunday night, the West Bengal government sent a letter to the MHA saying that the situation in the state was “under control” and there was no failure on part of its law enforcement agencies.

The BJP has claimed that five of its workers were killed in the violence in Sandeshkhali, while the ruling TMC claimed that one was killed. The party said it was observing “Black Day” in West Bengal and a 12-hour shutdown in North 24 Parganas district’s Basirhat subdivision to protest the killings.

The saffron party took out rallies in several parts of the state, with BJP workers supporting black badges. The situation remained tense in Basirhat. BJP and TMC workers had clashed in Sandeshkhali area of Basirhat on Saturday.

(With PTI inputs)

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.