"Maoists are nothing but a gang of killers who know nothing about Mao Tse Tung," said West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya addressing his first public meeting for the Assembly elections in West Bengal.

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The Election Commission has imposed a ban on public meetings with loudspeakers till Thursday 5 pm because of the HSC exams in the state.

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In a speech that was almost identical to his remarks at the 'Meet the Press' event in Kolkata Wednesday, Bhattacharya stressed that voting for Trinamool was equivalent to voting for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

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"We have to consolidate our agricultural success, protect our communal harmony and boost our industry," he said.

This meeting was significant because it was Bhattacharya's only public meeting in Maoist-hit Purulia.