New Delhi: The BJP-TMC sparring over violence in West Bengal continued with Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday saying the Centre has a right to advise Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to "immediately stop" the spate of political killings.
Rejecting TMC's charge of being selective in issuing advisories to West Bengal while ignoring Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Shah said the advisory to the TMC-ruled state was not for local law and order situation but for political killings.
He countered TMC's Derek O'Brien on Bihar, where over 100 children died due to acute encephalitis, saying the Home Ministry does not issue health advisories.
Shah also defended BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh saying there were no political killings in the state since his party came to power.
He said it is Banerjee's "constitutional responsibility" to stop the political killings in West Bengal as these are not good for a healthy democracy and he has a right to advise the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal CM.
"Derek O' Brien is a respected member who has a regret against my department that it issued two advisories in one week for West Bengal. He asked me why an advisory was not issued for Bihar even though several children died," Shah said, adding that Home Ministry issues advisories related to internal security and not for health reasons.
O' Brien retorted that he had sought to know why an advisory was not issued to Uttar Pradesh by the Home Ministry.
To this, Shah said the Home Ministry had not issued an advisory to West Bengal over any law and order problem but for the killing of political party workers as it is a serious threat to democracy.
"Instead of raising this issue in Parliament, I would appeal to Mamata Banerjee to restore peace in the state as it is her constitutional responsibility. She should do it immediately and I have a right to advise her. These political killings are not good for a healthy democracy. They should be stopped immediately," Shah, who is the BJP chief, said.
He made the remarks while replying to the debate in Rajya Sabha on a statutory resolution to extend President's rule in Jammu and Kashmir by six months.
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