'Can Break Shoulders With Bare Hands': Bengal BJP Chief Threatens Trinamool

Kolkata: West Bengal BJP Chief Dilip Ghosh has threatened activists of the Trinamool Congress with violence, saying workers of his party are "trained by the RSS and can break your shoulders with bare hands".

Amid a spike in political violence in West Bengal allegedly led by the ruling Trnamool Congress which just scored a landslide victory against a Congress-Left alliance and the BJP, Mr Ghosh has said his party "will settle scores".

"Even we can indulge in fist fights. Most of the people are trained by the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh). We can break your shoulders easily with our bare hands," he said, addressing a party function in Kharagpur on Saturday.

"The sound of breaking shoulders will reach Kalighat," Mr Ghosh said, referring to the residence of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and adding, "We don't want to choose this path. Those who have real strength don't show off."

Speaking to NDTV today, Mr Ghosh said, "Why should we apologise? We have to protect our workers, they are being murdered. Did they apologise for beating up Roopa Ganguly on the streets?"

The Opposition in West Bengal has accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of escalating violence in days after the elections, whose results were declared on May 19, earning Ms Banerjee a second term as chief minister with a huge majority of 211 in the 294-seat state assembly.

Claiming the attacks were being carried out with the aim to "eliminate" the Opposition, state units of the Congress, BJP and the Left Front boycotted the mega swearing-in ceremony of Ms Banerjee on Friday, as a mark of protest.

The Trinamool has condemned Mr Ghosh's comments, saying the BJP can't handle defeat. "This is a democracy. This is an election. Someone will win and someone will lose," West Bengal's Health and Family Welfare Minister, Shashi Panja told NDTV.

Reacting to the remarks, the Left has said the violent politics of the Trinamool and BJP will "ruin Bengal".