Will not let you turn Bengal into Gujarat: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata:  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday spewed anger and lashed out at people chanting “Jai Sree Ram” around her convoy in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas. She said she will never allow Bengal to become Gujarat.

Addressing a protest demonstration in Naihati, Banerjee also viciously attacked the BJP saying she hates them for practising communal and divisive politics. She said she was confident the saffron party will not get a single seat in Bengal in the 2021 Assembly elections.

The incidents took place in Bhatpara and Naihati, while Banerjee was on her way to address a demonstration outside the Naihati Municipality against the alleged “capture” of the civic body by the BJP in the aftermath of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Banerjee was about to get into his vehicle after giving some instructions to the police officers in Bhatpara when a group of youths gathered near her convoy raised the “Jai Sree Ram” slogan.

A furious Banerjee dashed out of her vehicle twice in a bid to confront the youths, accused them of abusing her and issued a verbal warning to them.

“Come here you BJP criminals. If you have guts come in front of me,” she said.

“There is a limit to indecent behaviour. I am going in my vehicle. These people wearing BJP’s headband are abusing me and trying to attack my convoy. How dare they? We are letting them stay here. They are not from Bengal, they are outsiders,” she told the media present.

Bhatpara, that has a large number of Hindi speaking people. Barrackpore Lok Sabha MP Arjun Singh, Trinamool Congress turn-coat who joined the BJP enjoys clout in the area.

Singh is also the former MLA of Bhatpara. After his defection to the BJP, byelection was held for the Assembly seat and Singh’s son Pawan Kumar Singh became the new MLA defeating Trinamool’s heavyweight Madan Mitra.

The other incident took place near Naihati when some locals chanted “Jai Sree Ram” when her convoy was passing by.

Banerjee again stepped out of her vehicle and challenged the locals to come in front of her and show their faces.

“I will not tolerate this hooliganism. I will not let you people turn Bengal into Gujrat,” she said before being escorted back to her car by her security guards.

A similar incident had occurred on May 4 in West Midnapore district’s Chandrakona when the Trinamool Congress supremo stepped and confronted the people who chanted the name of Lord Ram in front of her convoy.

“I hate a party like BJP that practices communal and divisive politics. Some hoodlums are torturing the people with the help of two traitors. They also rigged the votes here. How dare they?” she said.

“I will restore this seat. It is a challenge. You will not get a single seat in Bengal in the Assembly polls. If I am alive, you will not get a single seat in the Assembly or the civic body elections.”

“If you hit me, I will hit back. Do not try to intimidate me in the name of central government. Like central government we are also an elected government,” she said claiming her party candidate in the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat Dinesh Trivedi lost in a slender margin as BJP goons rigged the votes.

Claiming that BJP’s downfall has started, the Trinamool Congress supremo claimed that the saffron party activists have started torturing people of Bengal even before their government has taken oath at the Centre.

“I do not think that all the Hindi speaking people are bad. But some noted criminals, who are not even residents of Bengal, are tormenting the people here with BJP’s support,” she added.

Published on: May 30, 2019 at 21:10 IST

IANS