Amit Shah's remarks on West Bengal rural polls 'distasteful, insensitive’, claims TMC

Shah said even 'bloodcurdling violence' could not stop the BJP from putting up a stellar performance in panchayat elections in West Bengal.

The West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Friday dubbed Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on violence in the state’s panchayat polls as "distasteful and insensitive" and wondered what was the role of the union home ministry in restoring peace in strife-torn Manipur.

TMC national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien said instead of showing compassion to grieving families of those who died in the violence, the BJP leader is gloating over vote percentage.

Shah on Friday said even "bloodcurdling violence" could not stop the BJP from putting up a stellar performance in the panchayat elections in West Bengal.

"Mr Home Minister@AmitShah, what a distasteful, insensitive statement from you. How much lower can you go? As Home Minister, you have the responsibility to protect people and keep the nation at peace. Instead of showing compassion to grieving families, you are gloating over the politics of (fake) vote percentages. Shame," O'Brien tweeted.

"And if that is not bad enough, even those percentages are inaccurate. Your party's vote percentage has dropped,” he asserted.

Also Read | BJP workers scuffle with police in Bengal

The people of West Bengal have rejected the BJP again, the TMC leader stated.

“I ask, what are you doing about Manipur? What are you doing about J&K? Decency and humaneness are two words that do not exist in your dictionary,” he said in the Twitter post.

The TMC leader's statement comes in the backdrop of Shah's tweet: “Even bloodcurdling violence in West Bengal could not stop the BJP from putting up a stellar performance in the panchayat election. The BJP nearly doubled its seat tally from the previous election, indicating a significant rise in the trust placed by the people."

The Trinamool Congress, in a statement, claimed that the saffron camp, after failing to fight it in a fair way, had resorted to dirty tricks and had “unleashed unspeakable violence” on the ruling party workers.

“Out of the 19 people killed in election-related violence on Saturday, at least 12 were our party workers and candidates," the Trinamool Congress tweeted, listing the names of the party activists who died in the violence.

"At least 600 companies of central forces had been deployed, and yet our people were massacred. And now HM @AmitShah is basking in his short-lived glory that was earned at the cost of the lives and sacrifices of TMC party workers and candidates?" it said.

The TMC pointed out that the party has registered a landslide victory by winning all the 20 zilla parishads in the state.

"We know it's a big ask from someone who lacks a moral compass, but instead of glorifying the achievements of @BJP4Bengal and offering accolades to @SuvenduWB and @DrSukantaBJP, the Home Minister should maybe show some iota of compassion and empathy towards the families of the victims." It said.

Suvendu Adhikari and Dr Sukanta Majumdar are the leader of the opposition and state BJP president respectively.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had claimed that 19 people, mostly from her TMC, died in poll-related violence since the election date was announced on June 8.

Police sources, however, have put the number of fatalities at 38 but agree that at least 60 per cent of those who lost their lives were affiliated with the TMC.

The West Bengal BJP unit dubbed the remarks by the TMC against Shah as a "reflection of frustration over the truth being out."

"Amit Shah Ji has said the truth. The entire country has witnessed the violence and anarchy unleashed by the TMC during the polls, which is continuing even after the elections are over," BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.