TMC Brands BJP Bhabanipur Candidate Tibrewal Outsider, Insults Marwari Women: Smriti Irani

Claiming that the Trinamool Congress is branding BJP candidate for the Bhabanipur by-poll Priyanka Tibrewal as an outsider, Union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday said this is insulting to Marwari women living in Kolkata for centuries.

Tibrewal is pitted against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur seat in south Kolkata, where the by-election will be held on September 30.

Addressing a meeting of the Marwari and Gujarati communities in the constituency, Irani said labelling people who are living in the state for generations as outsiders is insulting to them.

Attacking the TMC on the post-poll violence in the state, the BJP MP of Amethi said, "Many women were raped and many of our activists were killed. This is what they meant by khela hobe." The TMC had coined the 'khela hobe' (game will happen) slogan in the run-up to the assembly elections held earlier this year.

"A 60-year-old woman is raped before her six-year-old grandson after the polls. Priyanka (Tibrewal) is now fighting her case. A candidate was beaten up with rods and her daughter made futile calls to police on the date of the counting. He died yesterday. This is khela hobe of the Trinamool Congress of Mamata Banerjee," the Union women and child development minister said.

In his speech, the newly appointed BJP state president Sukanta Majumder alleged that the chief minister is practising divisive politics.

He also claimed that Banerjee is not following norms while entering places of worship of various faiths. "Please don't create divisions among people," Majumder said.

He alleged that police had manhandled him while Tibrewal was heckled by a senior male officer during the party's protest before the residence of the chief minister at Kalighat on Wednesday. "I understand that a complaint has been lodged against that DC (deputy commissioner of police) rank officer by Tibrewal," the Balurghat MP added.

On the issue of several saffron party leaders joining the TMC, he said, "You may lure one, two or three of our MLAs. Do that. But you cannot break the BJP." .

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