Mamata Condemns Centre's Efforts To 'Control' Twitter, Calls Allegations Of Poll Violence 'BJP's Gimmick'

"They cannot control Twitter that is why they want to pull it down. They cannot control me, so they tried to pull down my government," Mamata Banerjee said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (File Photo/AFP)

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday came down hard on Centre over its efforts to control social media platforms including Twitter claiming that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to bulldoze the micro-blogging site after having failed to influence it.

Drawing parallel, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said: They (BJP government) cannot control Twitter that is why they want to pull it down. They cannot control me, so they tried to pull down my government. They cannot control some journalists, so they killed them. It is their phenomenon but it will end one day." 

Twitter on Wednesday lost its safe harbour shield in India over non-compliance to IT rules and failure to appoint key personnel mandated under new guidelines. It will now be liable for action under the Indian Penal Code for third party unlawful content.

Mamata Banerjee On Post-Poll Violence

While speaking on allegations of political violence which took place in West Bengal after Assembly Elections, Banerjee termed it as "baseless" and "gimmick" of the BJP.

"We don't support violence. Wherever any such action takes place, the police have taken strict action. There was some violence at the time of elections, and then law and order was under EC,"she said. 

"There is no political violence going on in the state right now. There may have been one or two sporadic incidents, but those can't be labelled as incidents of political violence," Chief Minister added.

Mamata Slams National Commission for Women (NCW)

Slamming the National Commission for Women (NCW) over messages to the Bengal Police on violence against women, Banerjee said the NCW should also take time to visit BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, "where the record of safety of women is dismal".

"The BJP, despite losing the election, are using these agencies to settle scores. These are all pre-planned incidents, but I won't comment on sub-judice matters," she said.

(With inputs from Manogya Loiwal)