President's rule in Bengal by December, says BJP MP, sets off storm

West Bengal BJP Yuva Morcha president and member of Parliament Saumitra Khan has claimed that law and order has collapsed under the Trinamool Congress government and President's rule will be imposed in the state by December.

Khan also cautioned the Mamata Banerjee government over the killing of BJP workers in the state.

The TMC also hit back at him, claiming that the rule of law has ceased to exist in BJP-governed Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat and saffron party leaders should pay attention to these states.

"The law and order situation has completely collapsed in the state. The killing of BJP workers is a daily affair. I want to assure all of you that by December this year, Presidents' rule will be imposed in the state," Khan said while addressing a party programme in Bankura district on Tuesday night.

A video clip of his speech has gone viral on social media.

Khan's comment comes close in the heels of the demand for Presidents' rule in the state by BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and Union minister Babul Supriyo.

Asked to comment on Khan's statement, senior TMC MP Saugato Roy said that BJP leaders should pay attention to Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, where the rule of law has ceased to exist.

"The BJP has been trying to rake up the issue of law and order to discredit the state government. The law and order situation is much better than what it was during the Left Front regime. They (BJP leader) should divert their attention to Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, where the rule of law has ceased to exist," he said.

In an interview to a news channel on Saturday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that "law and order have gone for a toss" in West Bengal.

When asked about his views on BJP leaders' demands for implementation of President's rule in the state, Shah had said, "A leader of a political party is well within his right to make such a statement. As far as the Government of India is concerned, we have to work as per the constitutional norms, the ground situation and the governor's report."