West Bengal Chief Minister and All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) Chairperson has reversed her decision to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the Modi government after the families of the BJP workers who lost their lives in political violence in the State were invited to attend the ceremony as a mark of respect. She revealed this by posting her statement on Twitter. The West Bengal CM also denied the political violence happening in the state.
The oath-taking ceremony is an august occasion to celebrate democracy, not one that should be devalued by any political party pic.twitter.com/Mznq0xN11Q
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 29, 2019
Mamata Banerjee, who had earlier planned to attend the swearing-in ceremony, said in her statement that the claims of the BJP of its workers being killed in political violence in West Bengal are not true. She denied the happening of any political murders in the State. She added that these murders might have happened due to personal enmity, family quarrels or any other reasons but these were not political murders. She said that such an august occasion of celebrating democracy should not be used by any political party to score political points.
The BJP has sent invitations to the families of 51 workers who were killed in the political violence during the Panchayat polls and the recent Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal. The West Bengal CM had assented to attending the ceremony on May 30 and was scheduled to fly down to Delhi today.
Due to rampant political violence in West Bengal, the Election Commission had to cut short the election campaign in the State during the last phase of the recent Lok Sabha elections.
