West Bengal violence was conspired by BJP; EC favouring Modi's party: Mayawati

She also took a jibe at Election Commission, saying that the electoral body has been working under BJP’s pressure, a claim that has already been made by CPI Chief Yechury and Congress leader Ahmed Patel.

New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati on Thursday took a jibe at Bharatiya Janta Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Election Commission’s order of cutting short campaigning in West Bengal by a day where the polling for the seventh phase is set to take place on May 19. In an order, the Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 pm on Thursday, in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata. During her press briefing, Mayawati held Bharatiya Janta Party responsible for the violence that broke out in Bengal. “BJP conspired for inciting violence in Bengal”. She also took a jibe at Election Commission, saying that the electoral body has been working under BJP’s pressure, a claim that has already been made by CPI Chief Yechury and Congress leader Ahmed Patel. Parts of Kolkata witnessed wide-spread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive road show in the city.

Mayawati: Election Commission has banned campaigning in West Bengal, but from 10 pm today just because PM has two rallies in the day. If they had to ban then why not from today morning? This is unfair and EC is acting under pressure pic.twitter.com/s7v0xpvAkO

— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019

ALSO READ: Yechury questions timing of EC's campaigning ban in WB, asks if it is to allow PM to address rallies The violence apparently began after suspected TMC supporters hurled stones at the BJP convoy from inside the hostel of Vidyasagar College. Furious BJP workers retaliated, and during the clash a bust of polymath-social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar inside the campus was damaged.