Kolkata, March 28 (IANS) The BJP and Trinamool Congress on Saturday locked horns after clashes were reported in Ram Navami rallies, primarily in Murshidabad in poll-bound West Bengal.

Earlier, clashes were also reported in Basanti Bazar area of South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, which is scheduled to vote in next month's two-phased Assembly polls.

Reacting to reports of violence, BJP leader Locket Chatterjee told IANS, "The law-and-order situation is very bad (in the state). What West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wants is that through appeasement politics, there is vote consolidation. That is her biggest issue."

Chatterjee accused the Trinamool Congress supremo of not working for the people during her regime.

"She has neither done anything for the minority nor for the majority," she alleged.

She further accused the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal of indulging in violence for votes.

She said, "Only to garner votes they do riots, violence etc. There is no trust in the people of West Bengal. Incidents like Murshidabad, Basanti are happening."

Emphasising on anti-incumbency in the state, the BJP leader said, "There is 15 years of anti-incumbency. The people of West Bengal know what they have gone through for the past 15 years, and this time, the public is determined to remove them (Trinamool government) and bring the BJP to power."

"The entire country needs to know what the Trinamool Congress government has done to the people of West Bengal. How the people have been betrayed by the government," she added.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Minister Shashi Panja expressed faith that the concerned authorities will investigate the matter.

She said, "If something like this has happened, authorities will definitely look into it and now under the Model Code of Conduct, the Election Commission will also look into the matter. This is what I believe."

Panja, however, accused the BJP of "provoking people".

"What we know is wherever the BJP had taken out Ram Navami rallies, real weapons (shastra) were demonstrated, including knives and swords. DJs were played in loud volume on the day which marks the birth of Lord Ram. If you provoke the people in the name of Lord Ram through speeches etc., then sometimes situation gets out of control," she told IANS.

She further alleged that the BJP tried to present the Ram Navami procession as a political rally.

"There has been no law-and-order problem in our (Trinamool's) rallies. The BJP is trying to spoil the situation of West Bengal," the Bengal Minister said.

--IANS

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