Bengal BJP hits back at Mamata Banerjee for her comments on Narendra Modi

Kolkata : West Bengal BJP Chief Dilip Ghosh on Friday hit back at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments on Bengal poll violence as "unexpected" and accused her of foul-mouthing him several times in her earlier speeches.

"The Chief Minister yesterday (Thursday) said she was disappointed with the Prime Minister's remarks about Bengal violence. I think she should instead be concerned that he had to talk about the political situation during elections in Bengal," Ghosh told the reporters here.

"Everyone knows what kind of language she has been using about the Prime Minister during her public rallies and administrative meetings. We do not expect her to talk about courtsey," he said.

Banerjee had on Thursday said the Prime Minister made "unexpected" remarks about poll violence in Bengal based on what he heard from his party members. She said Modi should also have double-checked the facts before making those remarks.

A day after the polling for Bengal rural polls took place amid allegations of massive violence by the ruling party cadres, PM Modi denounced the situation in the state as "death of democracy" and claimed all parties except the Trinamool Congress was affected by the violence.

Ghosh also rubbished Banerjee's claim of the BJP joining hands with the Maoists to fight the election in the previously Maoist-infested "Jangalmahal" districts and said such remarks are an insult to the locals.

He said the people of those regions have abandoned the state's ruling party as the promise of development by the current government turned out to be hollow.

"That is why the tribal people there had given their reply through the ballots in the Panchayat poll and the BJP did well in those areas," he added.