Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee decided Wednesday not to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narenda Modi as Prime Minister citing ‘untrue’ claims by BJP that 54 of the party workers were murdered in political violence in Bengal. She had Tuesday confirmed her presence at the ceremony to be held May 30.
“Congratulations, new Prime Minister, Narendra Modiji. It was my plan to accept the ‘constitutional invitation’ and attend the oath taking ceremony. However, in last one year, I am seeing media reports that the BJP are claiming 54 people have been murdered in political violence in Bengal. This is completely untrue. There have been no political murders in Bengal. These deaths may have occurred due to personal enmity, family quarrels and other disputes, nothing related to politics. There is no such record with us,” Banerjee said in a tweet.
“So I am sorry, Narendra Modi ji, this has compelled me not to attend the ceremony. The ceremony is an august occasion to celebrate democracy, not one that should be devalued by any political party which uses it as an opportunity to score political points. Please excuse me,” she wrote on Twitter.
It should also be mentioned here that family members of 42 BJP workers killed in West Bengal in the last one year has been invited for the swearing-in ceremony. This must have spurred the Trinamool Congress supremo to change her decision at the last minute.
The just concluded Lok Sabha polls witnessed a heated verbal duel between Modi and Banerjee who spearheaded the campaigns of their parties in West Bengal.
Agencies