Kolkata (West Bengal): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said she can sit on a dharna outside Prime Minister Modi's house in New Delhi if needed, as she protested against the central government over alleged blocking of state money. Flagging the central government's 'discriminatory attitude towards West Bengal', the Bengal CM also alleged that the Opposition is being constantly harassed by the central agencies under BJP's regime.
"I am working for people. I am fighting for the people whose money has been stopped for 100 days' work. I am sitting for the rights of common people whose money has been blocked by the Centre. If required, Mamata can even sit on dharma near the PM's house. I have the courage," the Trinamool supremo said, adding that she was sitting on dharna in her capacity as the TMC chief and not as the chief minister.
"You have blocked the money by invoking a so-called Section 27. But remember, people will vote you out with section 420 in 2024. You will not come to power," she said. Attacking the BJP further, Mamata said, "There were some good people in BJP. I used to respect Atal ji a lot. But nowadays the kind of material is there...even a tubewell would not be made. You are taking money in the name of GST," the TMC Supremo said.
Further calling for all the opposition parties to come together to fight against the BJP, Mamata highlighted how the BJP has targetted almost all opposition leaders. "I ask all the opposition parties, is there anyone who is spared from the torture? Look how low they (BJP) have stooped....from Akhilesh, Uddhav, Arvind, Lalu and KCR, everyone has been targetted. All of them are thieves and only you are sadhu," Mamata sarcastically said, addressing Prime Minister Modi in her speech.
The Trinamool chief further said the BJP's "double engine government" has now become 'BJP washing machine'. "The so-called double-engine government has failed. BJP has turned into a washing machine. One of the BJP's goons was saying that they would come out armed on the streets during the Ram Navami procession. We would not stop any Ram Navami procession. But remember, Ramzan is going on...The law will take its own course if you try to incite violence in Muslim-dominated areas. There is every right to carry out processions and public meetings. But no one has the right to instigate riots," the West Bengal CM said during the protest held ahead of panchayat elections in the state.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee questioned why there has been no action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's taunts to Mamata Banerjee that hurt women's sentiments, when Rahul Gandhi is being disqualified for his statement about a community. He also instructed TMC's legal cell to file a case against the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, seeking his disqualification from the House for "insulting" a tribal woman minister.
"I may not support Rahul Gandhi's comment but I condemn the way he was disqualified from the Lok Sabha. In that case, why will the PM not be disqualified for hurting the sentiments of women by mocking West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with his 'Didi O Didi' taunts during the 2021 assembly polls campaign? We demand that action be taken in that case too," Abhishek said.
