Kolkata: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Venkaiah Naidu on April 29 warned of Central intervention in West Bengal if the ruling Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPM) "crosses its limit" by "terrorising" political opponents in the May 11 panchayat elections in the state.

"The Centre will not tolerate this. On everything there is a limit. If the Communists think that they will carry on their terror tactics, they cannot expect the Centre to be a silent spectator," Naidu told a party rally attended by Trinamool Congress chief Mamta Banerjee.

Without spelling out the nature of Central intervention, Naidu launched a frontal attack on the CPM for unleashing political violence ahead of the rural polls charging the Marxists with "killing Democracy at the grassroots".

"Communist parties are always uncomfortable towards Democracy as they do not believe in it," the BJP chief said echoing Mamta Banerjee's allegations that 20,000 Trinamool and BJP nominees were prevented by the Marxists from filing nominations for the panchayat polls.

"This cannot be a local issue. I will take this issue to the national plane as BJP president," he said charging the CPM with trampling Democracy by utilising the police, administration and muscle power.

He said under Left Front rule the state has slipped backwards in development but topped the list in political violence after Bihar.

"It seems a competition is on between the CPM and Laloo Prasad Yadav in Bihar to win the race of political violence in their respective states."

PTI