Amit Shah not God, but Mamata Banerjee no saint either: Shiv Sena

Mumbai: Blaming West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the violence during Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata, the Shiv Sena on Thursday said the BJP president was not God but Banerjee was "no saint" either.

It said Banerjee did not give permission for the BJP leaders' choppers to land in her state which started the conflict between the saffron party and her Trinamool Congress (TMC). "Her (Mamata Banerjee's) government was elected democratically. Whether she wins or loses will be decided democratically. She will not win by becoming a roadblock in the way of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi-Shah," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana' After the violence in Kolkata on Tuesday, Banerjee remarked that the BJP president was "not God". Referring to it, the Marathi publication said, "Amit Shah is not God, but Banerjee is also not a saint or a Goddess.

Bengal has seen violence during the time of Marxist regime and now Mamata Banerjee is also doing the same." Due to this, West Bengal is suffering and it (the prevailing situation) is "dangerous" for the country, said the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, which is an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

The violence in West Bengal forced the Election Commission on Wednesday to cut short the campaign time in that state by a day.

The final phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls will be held on May 19 and votes will be counted on May 23.

Supporters of the BJP and TMC on Tuesday fought pitched battles on the streets of Kolkata during a massive road show by Shah, who escaped unhurt but was forced to cut short the jamboree and had to be escorted to safety by the police.

Parts of the city plunged into a welter of violence as his convoy was attacked with stones by alleged TMC supporters from inside the hostel of Vidyasagar College, triggering a clash between supporters of the two parties.

The statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, 19th-century  educationist and social reformer, was also vandalised during the violence.