After Mamata alleges BJP distributing leaflets at her rally, police detain 2

Kolkata, Mar 9 (PTI) Alleging that the BJP and "its agencies" were distributing leaflets at the site of her sit-in protest in Kolkata, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday directed TMC workers to catch them and hand them over to the police.

Following Banerjee's direction from the dais of her sit-in demonstration, which has been continuing for the last three days at Dharmatala over the SIR exercise, police said they detained two people who were distributing leaflets publicising PM Narendra Modi's March 14 rally in Kolkata.

"BJP and its agencies are distributing leaflets at our meeting. They have no right to distribute such leaflets at the programme of another political party," Banerjee said.

"How can they campaign for their programme at our meeting? This is not done. Catch them and hand them over to the police before they escape. I am asking minister Sashi Panja to lodge an FIR immediately," she added.

The TMC supremo said the BJP was resorting to such "unfair tricks" as their meetings were evoking a lukewarm response.

"Only those having no base can stoop so low. They don't have people's support. They are 'vote chor'. They use agencies," she alleged.

Banerjee said such cowards "should hang themselves to death".

Dismissing the allegations, BJP leader Rahul Sinha said the party does not need to send its members to TMC's programmes as PM Modi's rally "will be historic".

"TMC itself has deployed its people to distribute leaflets about PM Modi's programme, as the sit-in protest is getting a low response from the people of Bengal. She is desperate and frustrated," he claimed. PTI BSM SUS SOM