TMC blamed BJP for Kolkata violence, dubs Amit Shah 'liar'

Derek O'Brien. Pic/PTI

Calling BJP President Amit Shah a "liar and cheater", the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday accused the BJP of vandalizing Bengali polymath Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue during clashes at his roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday.

The two parties also sparred over vandalisation of Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar's statue on during the BJP rally. Derek O'Brien and his party said BJP workers were behind the incident, a claim refuted by Amit Shah at his media address.

"BJP people indulged in the violence during Amit Shah's roadshow. The roadshow is just a roadshow, you are not supposed to paste posters on government buildings and other places," TMC MP Derek O'Brien told the media.

O'Brien showed two videos in which people were seen vandalizing public property. The TMC leader claimed he had 44 more such videos which he said can prove that "BJP goons" were involved in the violence in Kolkata.

"These videos establish that the BJP President is a liar and cheater."

Another TMC leader, Manish Gupta, accused the BJP of bringing "goons" and keeping them in hotels to indulge in violence.

O'Brien also accused the central forces of helping the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal.

"The Central forces are in league with the BJP in Bengal. They are in alliance with the BJP."

O'Brien said he along with a TMC delegation will meet the Election Commission and lodge a complaint regarding the violence, and also hand over the videos which he said were "authentic proof" against the BJP.

"The streets of Kolkata are filled with sadness today. BJP president Amit Shah does what he does, with his hired goons from outside of Bengal. He tried to justify what happened yesterday, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar has discovered the Bengali alphabet and wrote 'Barna-Parichaya'. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar is the leader of the 'Bengal Renaissance'," the TMC spokesperson hailed the reformist.

Top News Stories Of The Day

• Mumbai Crime: Man rapes critical patient's HIV+ sister on Sion Hospital roof
• Rising carrom star Janhavi More run over by speeding truck in Dombivli
• BMC to put Marine Drive under the radar
• Mumbai: Cops fight accuseds' lies with biometric system
• New BMC chief Pravin Pardeshi tackles rain, road and revenue on Day 1
• Sit on a machaan and spot animals all night at Sanjay Gandhi National Park
• PM's proposer spells out her dreams for Varanasi
• Mumbai: Turf Club calls for meeting on consent terms for Gallops
• Elections 2019: Milind Deora's Jain comment 'violative', says EC
• Mumbai: Government officer jumps from 30th floor of World Trade Centre
• Mumbai Crime: Cops crack down on online escort services, arrest two
• It's final, Jaslok Trust will continue to run hospital, says CEO
• A walk through Mohammed Ali Road's Khau Galli
• Expensive things Mukesh Ambani spends on

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get the latest updates

Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from Agencies