Kolkata, Apr 10 (IANS): Going hammer and tongs at West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee government, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Sunday alleged that it was running a "dictatorship", and "misusing" power to torture common people and political opponents.

"They are running a dictatorship in the state. Fake cases have been filed against our party (BJP) leaders," Rijiju told media persons at Suri, the headquarters of Birbhum district.

The Union Minister claimed that his party leaders had not carried any unlicensed guns during the Ram Navami processions on Wednesday. "Tridents and swords are traditional and symbolic weapons, and it is the religious right of the people to carry them during such programmes.

"This is nothing but misuse of power by the Trinamool Congress government," said Rijiju, who attended a party programme at Suri.

Addressing his party workers, he said the Banerjee government was "misusinga the police to "torture common people as also political opponents".

He termed as "very unfortunate" the police cases registered against senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders including the West Bengal unit president Dilip Ghosh for carrying weapons during the processions.