Mamata claims conspiracy against TMC government

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today claimed that a conspiracy was being hatched to dismiss her government which was performing well. Peace had been restored in the (Darjeeling) hills and junglemahal, but attempts were being made to create fresh trouble there, Banerjee told the assembly during the one-day special session to pass the budget. [caption id=“attachment_990883” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Mamata Banerjee. AFP[/caption] Referring to the just-concluded five-phase panchayat elections in the state, she said that Murshidabad and Malda districts had witnessed maximum poll violence and asked why a central minister resorted to goondaism. A general diary had been lodged, she said. She said that those during whose time the state had witnessed terror were now raising a hue and cry about about it. She said that there was no bogus voting and democracy had returned in the state. Banerjee said that compared to the previous two rural polls in the state in 2003 and 2008 which claimed 40 and 35 lives respectively, nine people were killed this time. She said that there were 159 poll-related violence in 2008 which was 98 this time. Banerjee asked whether those killed while making bombs would be included in the casualty list as poll-related deaths. There was a need for changing the definition for terming them as poll-related deaths, she said. Stating that people should be trusted in a democracy, she asked what was the use of making bombs in a democracy. She said that there would be a executive inquiry into cases of police firing during the polls. Altogether 1,71,755 valid nominations were filed this time compared to 1,31,022 in the 2008 panchayat poll, she said. PTI