Bharatiya Janata Party MP Locket Chatterjee on Friday broke down as she recounts an alleged incident of sexual assault by Trinamool Congress workers of a BJP candidate during Panchayat polls on 8th July in Howrah district of West Bengal. While Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that 19 people, mostly from TMC, died in poll-related violence since the election date was announced on June 8, police sources have put the number of fatalities at 37.
The BJP had also formed a five-member team of women MPs from New Delhi who visited Amta in West Bengal’s Howrah district to meet victims of panchayat post-poll violence. This was the second team of BJP MPs to visit Bengal after the party’s fact-finding team led by former Union Minister Ravishankar Prasad.
Earlier on Friday, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reacting to Manipur violence so late. "I want to ask PM Modi did the incident in Manipur not hurt you even a little? You point fingers at West Bengal but don't you have love for sisters and mothers? Till when daughters will be burnt, Dalits, minorities will be killed, people will be killed? We will not leave Manipur, North Eastern sisters are our sisters," Mamata said.
