KOLKATA - Blaming the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) for the political violence in West Bengal since the Lok Sabha polls, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday demanded the administration seize all illegal weapons and close private arms factories in the state.

Banerjee, the opposition Trinamool Congress chief, met Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi at the Raj Bhavan here and handed over to him a list of 23 of her party activists allegedly killed by the CPI-M in clashes after the elections.

Banerjee claimed that several thousands of her party colleagues were homeless, and a large number was lying injured in hospitals.

“We told governor we did not bring out any victory rally after the polls to prevent clashes. Had we brought out such rallies, then the entire people of Bengal will have joined. Then the CPI-M would have been nowhere.”

Banerjee said the atmosphere was peaceful for a week after the polls, till the CPI-M leaders started making provocative statements.

“Naturally this created tension. And by using some police officers who are their lackeys, the CPI-M had unleashed state sponsored terrorism in districts like Burdwan, East Midnapore, Bankuar, Hooghly and North 24 Parganas districts,” she alleged.

“With the help of these policemen, the CPI-M is trying to make the state slip into lawlessness. Murders are being committed by the CPI-M. Naturally, our men had to defend,” she said.

The state has been in the grip of political violence for about a month with workers of the ruling Left Front major CPI-M and opposition parties like the Trinamool and the Congress fighting a battle for control of political turf.

Over 50 people have been killed, several CPI-M party offices ransacked and torched and scores of houses razed to the ground in escalating violence covering several districts.

The Trinamool chief said weapons kept in armouries by the police after seizures were finding their way into the hands of the CPI-M workers. “Sten gun is brought from outside. Criminal gangs are operating.

“Police must seize the unlicensed arms and close down the illegal armouries in the state,” she said, adding the arms were posing danger to the security forces and even to the country’s “internal security”.

On the violence in Khejuri of East Midnapore district, where the Trinamool has organised a social boycott of policemen, she said: “Had the home secretary (Ardhendu Sen) not issued threat to use force, matters would not have taken such a turn. I appeal to him not to talk like an agent of a political party.”

On the murder of three CPI-M supporters in another political flashpoint Lalgarh of West Midnapore district, Banerjee said: “Our men are not involved in clashes there. The CPI-M is fighting its dissidents there.”