Mamata Banerjee's third stint as West Bengal chief minister has started with an intense confrontation with the Centre over the post-poll violence in the state. The Union Home Ministry dispatched a terse reminder to the Bengal government on Wednesday to submit a detailed report on the violence.
The ministry warned the state government that failure to send the report soon will be taken 'seriously', while adding that the violence must stop 'without any loss of time'.
In a letter dispatched on Wednesday, the home ministry reminded the West Bengal chief secretary that on May 3, it had sought an immediate a report on the post-poll violence in the state. However, the West Bengal government is yet to send the report, news agency PTI reported quoting officials, as saying.
In case the report is not sent by the state government, the matter will be taken seriously, the letter said.
Mamata blames BJP
In an apparent attempt to skirt the responsibility over the post-poll violence in state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for bloody clashes. Addressing a press conference after taking oath as Bengal CM for the third consecutive term, Mamata Banerjee said reports of violence has come from regions where the BJP has won in the just-concluded Assembly elections.
ALSO READ: Clashes in areas where BJP won, says Mamata over post-poll violence in Bengal
Most of the most of the videos of violence being shared on social media were either fake or old, she told reporters at the state secretariat Nabanna.
"I have noticed that violence and clashes are taking place in those areas where the BJP have won the elections. These places can be seen as black spots," the Trinamool Congress chief said.
Earlier in the day, BJP president JP Nadda, who is on a two-day tour of Bengal, slammed the Trinamool Congress dispensation over widespread violence in the state. The party has claimed that nine of its workers have been killed in the violence that began soon after the Assembly election results were declared on May 2.