Mamta accuses BJP of bringing miscreants from outside

Kolkata, May 18: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the BJP of bringing miscreants from neighbouring Jharkhand and Bangladesh to cause unrest in Bengal during the state Panchayat polls and questioned the role of Border Security Force (BSF) in this regard.

"West Bengal shares border with Jharkhand. BJP is in power in Jharkhand. Several of our districts also share borders with Bihar and Bangladesh. Why people were brought in from Bangladesh on the polling day?" Banerjee said, as her party seemed set for a resounding win in the Panchayat polls.

"Why was it done? Why did the BSF become active in the border areas without the state's permission? Law and order is a state subject and the election was being conducted by the State Election Commission," she said.

She also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) was jointly operating with the Maoists in several parts of Bengal.