Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday blasted the Election Commission of India and the saffron regime for being “Bangla-birodhi (anti-Bengal)” after the poll panel denied the state government permission to build homes for 1,600 north Bengal families hit by the March 31 mini-tornado.

The Trinamul national general secretary and MP, who led a delegation of leaders to meet governor C.V. Ananda Bose to follow up on Monday’s meeting with him, said in a news meet outside Raj Bhavan that the EC denied the Mamata Banerjee government permission — necessary as the model code of conduct is in place — to build homes for the storm-hit families.

“This commission is as Bangla-birodhi as the BJP-led Centre that thrives on depriving the poor masses of Bengal,” said Mamata’s nephew, who added that the poll panel said the state government could give victims Rs 5,000 or Rs 20,000, depending on the extent of damage to the homes, but not build new homes now.

“Narendra Modi’s New India is not about “Na khaunga, na khaney dunga (the Prime Minister’s anti-corruption slogan)” but about “na ghar banaunga, na bananey dunga (will neither make homes, nor allow them to be made)…. This is a new low even for them,” he added. “We will approach the President, if need be.”

The EC’s nod for new homes in north Bengal was one of the demands by Trinamul’s 10-member delegation that went to Delhi on Monday, where members were dragged and detained by Delhi police from outside Nirvachan Sadan. Abhishek had met the governor the same night and urged him to intervene.

On Wednesday, according to Abhishek, Bose said he couldn’t speak to chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar, but spoke to election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu. Abhishek wondered why the CEC couldn’t spare time to speak to Bose.

Repeating the NIA-BJP secret entente allegations, Abhishek said the evidence in possession of his party would be submitted to the Supreme Court soon.