BJP unleashing violence, TMC worker killed in Purba Medinipur: Mamata Banerjee

Mamata Banerjee. File pic

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday accused the opposition BJP of unleashing a reign of terror in Purba Medinipur district, the stronghold of her principal adversary Suvendu Adhikari, and killing a TMC worker.

The TMC supremo made the allegations while addressing an election rally in Haroa under the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat, on the day of the sixth-phase election. "Even yesterday, they (BJP) killed an active member of our party at Mahisadal in Purba Medinipur district. Sensing defeat in the polls, they are resorting to killing and attacking people and TMC workers. But we will resist their bid," Banerjee said. A number of houses and shops had been set ablaze at Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district after a BJP woman member was killed and her son was seriously injured, an active SC/ST Morcha leader of the party in the area, two days ago. Nandigram's BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari had alleged that TMC goons were involved in the attack, but TMC leaders maintained it was a fallout of an internal feud within the BJP.

"A gaddar (traitor) is back to his tricks again. He is behind this reign of terror in Nandigram and some other parts of Purba Medinipur today. You may terrorise people of 10 booths, but that is minuscule as compared to the rest of the state. Your limits will be confined within Khejuri and Nandigram," she added.

She was referring to Adhikari, the leader of the opposition, who left the TMC to join the BJP in December 2020. Banerjee also came down heavily on a TMC MLA for not attending the rally, accusing her of keeping contact with the BJP.

"If an MLA does not attend our meeting on May 25, she will have no association with us. If the person wants to be with BJP, I have no problem. We want leaders who will work for the party and people at this hour. Others like her may go," she said, naming the MLA. Before leaving for other political programmes, Banerjee said she needed to board the helicopter ahead of the storm breaks out. "If there is any mishap and something happens, some people, my opponents, might be happy. But even if they think so, sorry can't make them happy. I will be around," the chief minister said.

"And if I am stuck due to the storm midway, these people will say Mamata Banerjee is not present when a disaster has struck," she added without naming anyone.

In a jibe at Modi at another rally in Dumdum, she said, "We have a PM who claims he was not biological son of his parents but a gift of God. Have you ever heard such a ludicrous statement from anyone? Modi, who is now just a caretaker PM, also claims he will be around to benefit us till 2047. The people of India will not allow you to realise your dreams to come back for the third time. Referring to BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra's recent comment, Banerjee said.

"A leader of Modi's party claimed Lord Jagannath is Modi's devotee. It is beyond imagination that such a sacrilegious assertion can be made by someone. Stating that the BJP finds faults with her chanting of Durga mantra, she challenged the saffron party leaders to recite the mantras. Alleging BJP had been issuing advertising peddling lies about her, she said the Calcutta High Court has stopped that practice which violated the model code of conduct. "I will file a defamation case against such misleading ads after the elections," she added.

The TMC supremo said some people are in politics just for the sake of it, while she is in politics as part of education - learning about the country - and to serve people.

Accusing the Modi government of selling large PSUs such as SAIL and Coal India Ltd, Banerjee said, "Our attempts to reopen Dunlop and Jessop did not succeed because of the conspiracy of the BJP," she said. When BJP is using central agencies to implicate TMC leaders in cases of coal and cattle smuggling, central ministers in charge of coal and border security are not arrested, she said. Banerjee alleged that the BJP is creating a rift between different communities, and challenged its leaders from Delhi to prove their charge that Durga Puja and Saraswati Puja are not being allowed in Bengal. Without elaboration, the TMC boss claimed that Modi's guarantee has taken away jobs of 26,000 people and increased the price of LPG cylinders. She said she has heard about cases of coal import irregularity against two big corporate groups close to Modi.

"Modi became the PM after she was a CM. I had been the railway minister and held several other central portfolios beforehand. Modi became PM after banking on the politics of polarization," she said. Banerjee also led a colourful road show in Salt Lake under the Barasat Lok Sabha seat in support of the TMC candidate.

(With inputs from PTI)