National War Memorial event reduced to political rally: TMC

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the NWM, adjoining the iconic India Gate complex in the heart of the capital, nearly 60 years after it was mooted to honour the fallen soldiers after Independence.

O'Brien, the TMC national spokesperson, in a statement, said, "The National War Memorial was turned into a political rally. That's called disrespecting the uniform."

The TMC and the BJP have been at loggerheads in West Bengal and at the Centre in the run up to the general elections.

BJP president Amit Shah has set a target of winning more than 23 Lok Sabha seats out of the 42 in the state.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said the Modi government was indulging in "politics over the dead bodies of jawans" after the Pulwama terror attack and alleged the Centre had intelligence inputs that such a strike could take place, but did not act upon them.

Banerjee claimed the BJP-led Union government wants to create a "war hysteria" ahead of the Lok Sabha polls to draw political mileage.