Arrest me if I have links with the Maoists: Mamata

With the Communist Party of India-Marxist accusing the Trinamool Congress [ Images ] of having links with Maoists, its chief Mamata Banerjee [ Images ] on Tuesday dared the West Bengal [ Images ] government to arrest her if the charge is true.

"The government should arrest me if I have any link with Maoists. I challenge them," Banerjee told a public meeting in Nandigram [ Images ] at Sonachura in West Bengal.

She said, "We don't want to oust the CPI-M [ Images ] through imposition of President's rule. The people will do so through democratic means."

Banerjee, who visited Nandigram for the first time after assuming charge as railway minister claimed, "The Marxist government will be wiped out in the next assembly election in the state."

She accused Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee [ Images ] of being the leader of both the Maoists and the Marxists.

"He is the biggest threat to democracy. The state is witnessing a joint venture between Maoists and Marxists."