KOLKATA: Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Friday criticised the BJP for allegedly letting loose a reign of terror after its defeat in the West Bengal panchayat polls and said the goons associated with the saffron camp are "seeking legal protection" from the judiciary preventing the law enforcing agencies from acting against them.

Banerjee, the TMC national general secretary, said the BJP, "after losing its support base", is now resorting to violence and a malicious campaign to divert attention from its failures.

"We are against any form of violence. Since the election results were announced, the BJP has unleashed terror across the state. In Nandigram, where the BJP has won a few seats, the goons of saffron camp have driven TMC activists out of their homes, beaten them up and threatened to rape their woman," he said.

Banerjee was talking to reporters outside SSKM hospital, where he had gone to meet the victims.

Nandigram is the assembly constituency of Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition.

The two-time Diamond Harbour MP said he had noted the names of 20 such miscreants, named by the victims, who were behind the attacks on party workers in Nandigram and will submit it to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Banerjee, the de-facto number two in the TMC, wondered how "the goons associated with the BJP can avail legal protection", thus putting the lives of the common people at stake.

"The goons associated with the saffron camp are seeking legal protection from the judiciary preventing the law enforcing agencies from acting against them. Unfortunately, these goons are getting legal protection," he said.

Accusing the BJP of trying to destroy the Independent judiciary and media -- the third and fourth pillars of democracy -- ever since they came to power at the Centre in 2014, he wondered why those who must be jailed and put behind bars are getting legal protection.

"We have full respect for the judiciary. By speaking on it today, I want to bring it to the attention of the honourable judiciary. If the state administration fails to act against the miscreants, the opposition can then blame the administration. The truth is that the opposition and the Centre are not allowing the state government to function freely," he said.

Claiming that those who lost lives are mostly associated with the TMC, Banerjee said the BJP and its agencies should investigate who killed them.

"The polls were conducted in more than 60,000 booths. If incidents were reported in around 60-62 booths, it comes to less than 0. 1 per cent. The deaths were miserable, and we would have been happier if people didn't lose their lives. But one must take a look at who is suffering the losses. We have lost almost 30 of our workers, which amounts to about 70 per cent of the deceased," he said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that 19 people, mostly from her TMC, died in poll-related violence since the election date was announced on June 8.

Police sources, however, have put the number of fatalities at 38 but agree that at least 60 per cent of those who lost their lives were affiliated with the TMC.

Taking a dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent remarks about rural polls in Bengal, Banerjee said the slide in BJP's vote share compared to 2021 shows the party is fast losing ground in the state.

"If BJP's vote share goes down from 38% to 22%, does that signal an increase or a decrease? Amit Shah is the Home Minister of the country. If he thinks 22 is more than 38. I think that explains why the country is in this position today," he said.

Shah on Friday said even "bloodcurdling violence" could not stop the BJP from putting up a stellar performance in the panchayat elections in West Bengal.

Reacting to Banerjee's remark, the BJP dubbed the allegations baseless.

"The allegations against the BJP are baseless. Is BJP throwing bombs at workers of other opposition parties in the state? The entire country knows the truth, and TMC can no longer hide it," BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.