Concentrate on elections, stop spreading fake news : Mamata to Opposition parties

Expressing pleasure over the new date for Panchayat polls, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee appealed to all political parties to participate in the elections. She further warned some of the parties and asked them not to spread "fake news" about Bengal.

The state election commission has on Thursday announced that the Panchayat polls will be held in a phase on May 14 and the results will be out on May 17.

"I am happy that the election would take place finally. Panchayat is our pride and all the Panchayats have done a great job here. I would request all to caste their votes and appeal to all political parties to participate in the election. Simultaneously, I am warning those elements who have been spreading fake news about Bengal including using photos of Bangladesh in their manifesto and claiming those as the pictures of riots in Bengal. I have also noticed some fake posts. They have used my photo with L N Mittal and replaced him with a devil," Banerjee said at Nabanna.


Significantly, BJP is learnt to have used a photo of Kumilla riots in Bangladesh in their manifesto referring those as the pictures of riots in Bengal. Another fake post also surfaced on Thursday in which a photo of Mamata Banerjee with L N Mittal was used as a photo of Banerjee with Asaram, recently convicted of rape, by editing the original photo.

Banerjee further added that her government would maintain a vigil on inter-state borders on the polling day and would not allow outsiders to enter Bengal.