NEW DELHI: In fresh battle of wits, the BJP on Thursday hit out at the West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee for her diatribe against the saffron party and for calling it "a militant party".
"If she is saying so, she (Mamata Banerjee) should collect data on how many BJP workers were killed in West Bengal allegedly by Trinamool workers," BJP spokesman Nalin Kohli said.
He reminded Trinamool leader her party's slogan of 'Ma, Mati, Manush' and said in the entire scheme of things in democracy - 'Manush' (human being) and humanity should remain important.
Another BJP leader and Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi also lashed out at the West Bengal Chief Minister.
"When Mamata Banerjee says something like this, I only find it humorous and funny," he said adding, "I find all these funny because organisations and groups believing in violence are practically running parallel governments in West Bengal".
Moreover, many ultra-Leftist organisations have now backed Mamata Banerjee, he said.
The remarks from BJP leaders come close on the heels addressing a public meeting, Ms Banerjee said: "We are not a militant organisation like the BJP.
They are creating fights not only among Christians, Muslims but also among Hindus".
The Trinamool chief's statement is seen as counter to remarks from Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh, who had alleged that the Trinamool leaders and workers were flexing muscles and threatening BJP workers.
"Either they will go to jail or there will be direct encounters.
We are counting the bullets which killed our workers," Mr Ghosh has been quoted in the media as saying.
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