BJP, RSS activists entering West Bengal sporting uniform of central forces: Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata, May 12: Iterating that the BJP government was using the central forces to influence voters in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said she feared that BJP and RSS activists have entered the state, sporting the uniform of the forces, to conduct polling.
"I do not disrespect the central forces. But they are being instructed to influence the voters. On the pretext of deploying central forces in West Bengal, the BJP is forcefully pushing BJP and RSS activists here.
"I doubt that some RSS activists in (central forces') uniform are being pushed into West Bengal," Banerjee said while addressing a rally in Basanti area of South 24 Parganas district here.
Banerjee also said that a Trinamool Congress worker was injured in the firing by the central forces officers in- charge of the security of BJP candidate Bharati Ghosh in Ghatal constituency.
"Today, there was a firing by the central forces inside a booth. I have heard that one of my brothers, belonging to the minority community, was injured," she said.
Banerjee also alleged that central forces personnel were asking voters standing in queues to exercise franchise in favour of the saffron party.
"How can they do that? Is this the job of the central forces to ask voters to cast vote for the BJP? A few retired officers are being used by the Modi government to conduct polling here and they are doing whatever they feel like," Banerjee said.
"You should be ashamed of doing this (asking people to vote for Modi)... You are here to do a job. Today you are under Modi, tomorrow you will be under somebody else. Then what will you do?," she said.
In Sunday's sixth phase of polling in eight Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal, around 770 companies of central forces were deployed to ensure free and fair elections.
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PM Modi speaks to Iranian president, discusses 'serious' situation in West Asia
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday night spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian over the phone and discussed the "serious situation" in West Asia.
Modi expressed deep concern over the escalation of tensions in the region and the loss of civilian lives as well as damage to civilian infrastructure.
The prime minister told the Iranian President that the safety and security of Indian nationals, along with the need for unhindered transit of goods and energy, remain India's top priorities.
“Had a conversation with Iranian President, Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, to discuss the serious situation in the region. Expressed deep concern over the escalation of tensions and the loss of civilian lives as well as damage to civilian infrastructure,” Modi said in a post on X.
The prime minister also reiterated India's commitment to peace and stability and urged dialogue and diplomacy to end the crisis.
The prime minister had spoken to leaders of several West Asian countries in the last 10 days in the wake of the coordinated offensive launched against Iran by the United States and Israel, in which the Islamic country's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed last month.
In retaliation, Iran has fired drones and missiles at Israel and US military installations around the Gulf region, including the global business and aviation hubs of Dubai and Doha.
Modi earlier spoke to the leaders of Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Israel and Qatar, and expressed concern over the attacks on their countries, and condemned the violation of some nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He also discussed the welfare and security of the Indian community residing in those countries.
Around 1 crore Indians live in the Gulf and West Asia. While about 10,000 Indian citizens live, study and work in Iran, more than 40,000 live in Israel.
