Paint my worst picture, won’t lodge FIR: Modi tells Mamata

Taki (West Bengal):  Hitting out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the arrest of state BJP youth wing leader for posting a meme on her, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked Banerjee to paint the “worst possible picture” of him, assuring that he will not lodge an FIR against her.

Accusing Banerjee of arrogance and intolerance, Modi said the Trinamool Congress supremo has taken Bengal back to the “era of emergency” and has waged war not against the BJP but the people of the state.

“Why so much anger over just one picture? Didi, you call yourself an artist, a painter. I have heard that your pictures are sold in crores of rupees in the name of Narada and Saradha.

“Today, I want to tell you something in order to cool down your anger. Paint the worst possible picture of me and present it to me after May 23 when I take oath as the Prime Minister again. I will accept it with love and keep that with me throughout my life. I will not lodge an FIR against you,” he said evoking massive cheers from the crowd.

Yuva Morcha leader Priyanka Sharma was accused of sharing on social media a photo of the Trinamool Congress supremo photo-shopped on a picture of Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra from last week’s MET Gala event in New York City.

She was arrested on May 10 on a complaint by a Trinamool Congress leader under Section 500 (Defamation) of the Indian Penal Code and under other provisions of the Information Technology Act.

Referring to an incident few years back, when the Trinamool Congress supremo walked out of a television interview and tagged two female college students as “Maoists” after they asked her certain questions about her party leaders, Modi said Banerjee’s arrogance was not new.

He said the situation in Bengal is such that the BJP leaders are not allowed to address rallies there, voters are being stopped from casting votes, BJP candidates are being attacked, and people chanting the name of Lord Ram are thrown into jail.

“Even Netaji Subhas chandra Bose’s grand nephew is not spared by your goons,” Modi said referring to Chandra Kumar Bose, BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate from the South Kolkata seat.

“Didi, where are you taking Bengal? I remember that something like this had happened during the election held after the Emergency in the country. You have taking Bengal back to the era of emergency. Your oppression is not limited to the BJP activists alone. You have started a war against the people. Bengal will teach you a lesson by silently voting for the lotus (BJP),” he alleged.

Accusing Banerjee of only thinking about her vote bank and not about Bengal’s development, he said: “She hopes that her extortionist gangs and infiltrator gangs will keep on thieving like this. But her dream is about to end.

“When the BJP government will come back to power on May 23, we will identify all the infiltrators and take actions against the miscreants here.”

Published on: May 15, 2019 at 19:30 IST

IANS