Agartala  :Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said that violence is common in West Bengal during elections and the situation at present is similar to the time violence reined in the state during the time of Communist rule.

“The post-election violence, the violence before the election, and violence during the election are common in West Bengal. The way violence was prevalent during Communist rule the same situation prevails now under TMC rule. I had been there many times during elections, I had visited many places in West Bengal,” the Chief Minister said on Monday.

“People are kept under fear, and the political atmosphere there is worse, people are deprived of their voting rights,” he added.

Saha said that people have expressed that the BJP would have been ahead of the ruling TMC in West Bengal if the polls had been conducted properly.

“Many people already told me that if the election there had been conducted properly then the BJP would have won more seats. We got 12 seats in spite of our target of getting 32 seats,” the Chief Minister said.

Speaking about reports of violence in the state, Saha said, “I also get information from various places in West Bengal of violence, how people are tortured, how their shops are being thrashed, and also their houses.”

On the fact-finding commission constituted by the BJP on the post-poll violence in West Bengal, the Chief Minister said, “BJP’s central committee has appointed a four-member committee led by our MP Biplab Kumar Deb to visit those places of violence. We are waiting for the report they submit and looking forward to the action taken by our PM Narendra Modi and the BJP.”

Comparing the alleged “atmosphere of violence” in West Bengal with that of Tripura, Saha said, “In our state, no such conditions prevail in Tripura. I had personally instructed everyone to ensure proper maintenance of law and order. Actually in West Bengal, they have created an atmosphere of violence and I strongly oppose such a situation.”