India, April 10 -- Union home minister and BJP leader Amit Shah had to specifically clarify his party's stance on fish and eggs in poll-bound West Bengal on Friday. He said the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) "is spreading rumours", and that "consumption of fish, eggs will not be stopped" if the BJP comes to power in the state, where the Centre's ruling Hindutva-driven party is hoping to dislodge Mamata Banerjee's regional party that's been in power since 2011.

The state votes on April 23 and 29, with counting and results set for May 4.

Shah's assertion came as he released the BJP manifesto for the polls, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, at a public rally in Haldia, that the TMC government had failed to match fish producti...