Vote Trinamool out to end political violence: Shah

Kolkata, May 14 (IANS) Following the incidents of violence during his Kolkata road show, Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Tuesday accused "the goons" backed by Trinamool Congress of attacking his procession and appealed to the people to give Mamata Banerjee's party a stern reply by voting them out of power.

"The goons of Mamata didi's party Trinamool Congress attacked the road show. The attack started near a medical college. Objects were thrown at us and attempts were made to create a stampede-like situation," Shah alleged.

"I strongly condemn the kind of violence spread by Banerjee's party. I want to appeal to the people of Bengal to give them a stern reply in the last phase of polling by exercising their voting rights peacefully. In order to eradicate the culture of political violence from Bengal, it is important to defeat Trinamool Congress," he said.

The BJP leader also accused the Election Commission of looking the other way from the issues created by Trinamool Congress in Bengal and urged the EC to "immediately arrest all the goons" in the state before the seventh phase of polling.

"The Election Commission is sitting with its eyes closed. In order to save its reputation, the EC should issue an order to arrest all the goons roaming around in Bengal before the final phase of polling," he added.

A clash broke out between the members of Trinamool Congress students' union and the saffron party activists, participating in Shah's rally, outside the Calcutta University campus and Vidyasagar College. Three bikes were set ablaze and a few people from both side sustained injuries.