BJP's Rath Yatras aimed at stirring up communal passion in West Bengal: TMC

Kolkata: The TMC on Thursday charged that BJP's proposed Rath Yatras in West Bengal were aimed at inciting communal passion in the state and accused the party of trying to divide the people along religious lines ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee said his party believes in constructive politics unlike the BJP which "only believes in destruction and dividing people."

He also referred to TMC's fight to oust the 34-year-old Left regime in the state. "The kind of statements BJP leaders are making everyday reflects how the BJP is trying to instigate violence in the state. In the name of law violation programme what the BJP and its cadres are doing is just hooliganism," he told newsmen.

His comments come against the backdrop of BJP's "law violation" programme in various parts of the state against the state government's decision to deny it permission to hold the Rath Yatra programmes in the state.

"The sole aim of BJP's Rath Yatras was to incite communal passion in the state," he said.

Several BJP workers and police personnel were injured after a "law violation" programme of the saffron party turned violent in Basirhat town in North 24 Parganas district on Monday.

At least 54 people have been arrested or detained in this connection, police said.

The Supreme Court had on Monday declined urgent hearing on a BJP plea challenging a Calcutta High Court order disallowing its Rath Yatras in the state.

The three-phased Rath yatra, also being called the 'Save Democracy Rally', was scheduled to be held this month and cover all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies. The rallies were to be flagged off by BJP president Amit Shah.