Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is the chief of saffron party's fact-finding team, on Wednesday slammed the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the poll violence that took place during the Panchayat elections in the state and said that her politics has become uglier than the politics of the Left parties. "Mamata ji's politics has become uglier than the politics of the Left parties. Why have your politics become full of atrocities? We need an answer. Court has to intervene during every election in the state," Prasad said, as quoted by the news agency ANI.
Continuing his attack on Banerjee, the BJP MP said that her democratic credentials are further on test."I hope that Mamata ji will allow all 4 MPs to visit the violence-affected areas in West Bengal. Mamata ji, your democratic credentials are further on test. We are senior members of the Parliament and we have the right o visit to these areas and see for ourselves," as quoted by ANI.
He further said that Mamata Banerjee has shamed the democracy in the state. Prasad claimed that the elected candidates were asked to join TMC. "BJP had a clean sweep in Uttar Pradesh, but there were hardly any instances of violence across the state. Then why is this the case in West Bengal? Even yesterday, someone was killed during the counting of votes. The elected candidates were asked to join TMC or else they will not be given the certificate. Mamata Ji, you have shamed the democracy in Bengal. Mamata ji I want to ask you, why are you not in a position to face the media and share your happiness on this victory?," former Electronics and Information Technology minister said, as quoted by ANI.
While addressing the reporters, Ravi Shankar Prasad also cornered Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the issue of poll violence and said why is he silent when the workers of his party in the state are getting beaten. "I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, why is he silent when his party workers are getting beaten in Bengal? The murder of 48 people during the West Bengal Panchayat elections is a sickening sign of a shameful democracy," the BJP MP said, as quoted by ANI.
Earlier in the day, the fact-finding team of the BJP comprising four members arrived in Kolkata on Wednesday to visit areas affected due to the violence during the West Bengal panchayat polls. Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the team will meet the victims and then a report will be submitted to the party president JP Nadda. "We will visit the violence-hit areas and meet the victims, and then we will submit a report to party president JP Nadda," Ravi Shankar Prasad said, as quoted by PTI.