Mamata Banerjee not to attend PM’s oath ceremony

New Delhi: A day after West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said she would attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony in New Delhi on Thursday, the TMC supremo on Wednesday opted out of the event after the BJP invited family members of its cadre who were allegedly victims of TMC political violence in West Bengal. Also, in another jolt to the Trinamul Congress, another MLA Monirul Islam joined the saffron fold, making him the third legislator to desert the ruling party in West Bengal after the BJP gained significantly in the Lok Sabha polls in the state.

The BJP and TMC were engaged in bitter war of words throughout the seven-phase campaigning in the state. On Tuesday, two TMC legislators and over 50 councillors had joined the BJP.

“In the last one hour, I am seeing media reports that the BJP is claiming 54 people have been murdered in political violence in Bengal. This is completely untrue. There have been no political murders in Bengal. There is no record with us. Sorry, this has compelled me not to attend the ceremony,” Ms Banerjee tweeted. Earlier during the day, former TMC stalwart and now BJP MP Arjun had claimed that Ms Banerjee decided to attend the oath-taking ceremony only to save her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

The BJP projected Mr Islam’s decision to join the party as a vindication of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan of “Sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka Vishwash” (together with all, development for all, trust of all). Along with Mr Islam, two TMC youth wing general secretaries Mohammad Asif Iqbal and Gadhadhar Hazra and a party leader, Nimai Das, also joined the BJP. Senior BJP leader Mukul Roy’s son Subhranshu Roy and Tusharkanti Bhattacharjee had joined the BJP on Tuesday along with 50 councillors on Tuesday.