West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday cautioned that the country was heading towards a presidential form of government. She accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of horsetrading that brought down the Karnataka government, and said that it would target West Bengal next, The Hindu reported.

“I want to tell you, especially to the educated class and to students, that we are heading towards a presidential form of government [with] one election, one leader, one political party and one emergency,” Banerjee said while addressing party supporters on the foundation day of Trinamool Chhatra Parishad. The chief minister also said that the Centre was either threatening leaders from the Opposition or offering them money to leave the party.

“It [BJP] is after Bengal now, as we are opposing its policies and divisive politics,” NDTV quoted Banerjee as saying. “But Bengal is not so cheap. In Bengal we fight.... The central government can put me behind bars, but I will not bow down before the BJP.” West Bengal celebrated all religions, Banerjee said, adding that the saffron party worshipped Ravana.

The chief minister said that the ruling party at the Centre was “terrorising the police and IPS [Indian Police Service] officers are losing jobs”. Important institutions in the country were being presided by retired bureaucrats who acted as “yes men” of the government, Banerjee alleged.

Speaking about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Trinamool Congress chief said the government had used “brute force” to stifle dissent in the Valley. “We will stand by Kashmir,” she added.

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