BJP a militant organisation, doling out money to win polls: Mamata

Kolkata, June 21 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday dubbed the BJP a "militant organiation" and accused it of doling out cash to win elections, saying such practices by it will soon be the reason for its downfall.

Addressing the extended core committee meeting of her Trinamool Congress, Banerjee alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was engaged in diving the people on religious lines.

"We are not a militant organisation like the BJP. They are arrogant and intolerant. They are religiously biased. They don't like Muslims, Christians, Sikhs - they are even differentiating between the upper caste and the lower caste Hindus," she said.

Taking a veiled swipe at West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Dilip Ghosh for vowing to retaliate with bullets and carry out "encounters" if BJP workers are troubled, Banerjee dared the BJP to attack her party men.

"Some BJP leaders are threatening to carry out encounters. Some are talking about using guns and hurling bombs. They are even talking about finishing us off. I dare them to show their might. We have seen their capabilities during the Panchayat elections," she thundered.

"Nothing can be achieved in politics at the point of a gun. You (BJP leaders) are talking about bombs and bullets because you are in power in Delhi now. Where will you go once you lose the power? People are getting ready to throw you off."

Ghosh on Tuesday said the BJP was counting the bullets used on their party workers by the Trinamool Congress and vowed to pay them back in the same coin if the attacks did not stop.

"We are counting the bullets which killed our workers. The TMC leaders will either go to jail or there will be direct encounters. Violence will be countered with violence and bullets will be answered by bullets.

"We have not signed a bond where it is written that we will offer them sweets even if they beat us," Ghosh told a public meeting in Jalpaiguri.