BJP Spreading Misinformation, Bringing Goons from Outside to Trigger Trouble: Mamata

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Bhaipo Service Tax” (Nephew Service Tax) jab at TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of spreading misinformation and bringing “goons from outside the state” to foment trouble during elections.

Addressing mega public rallies in Cooch Behar’s Mathabhanga and Kalchini in Alipurduar, Mamata said, “Narendra Modi doesn’t have any political courtesy. He is teasing me (referring to PM Modi’s ‘Didi-O-Didi’ remark at public rallies) and this shows how important I became for them. I don’t mind. I respect the chair of the Prime Minister but I haven’t seen a liar like Narendra Modi. He is spreading misinformation. They are bringing goons from other states to disturb the harmony of Bengal, to disturb the culture of Bengal,” she said.

She further said” “In the third phase, despite atrocities of the central forces and BJP goons, I have information that we are leading in most of the seats. Sensing their defeat, now they are spreading misinformation that they are going to capture Bengal after May 2. But the fact is they have already lost this battle.”

On BJP’s promise to create a new “Narayani Sena Battalion” to “appease” the Rajbonshi community, Mamata, while quoting an RTI reply, said, “Today, I would like to inform you that their promise is false and there is no proposal to create a ‘Narayani Sena Battalion’. I have an RTI reply with me. During the 2019 Lok Sabha they cheated you and now once again they came here to cheat you with false promises. Don’t fall in their trap and this time vote for TMC.”

“BJP is garbage of lies and believes in dangerous divisive politics. They are blackmailing us in the name of agencies. I would like to tell them today, we will not bow our head before them. My real warriors are my booth workers. They are the real assets of TMC. Today, I would like to appeal to the people of North Bengal to stand against evil forces like BJP,” the TMC chief said.

On National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), she said, “Narendra Modi excluded the names of 14 lakh Bengalis in Assam. Now they are planning to implement it here in Bengal. They will exclude your name from Bengal and make you homeless. But I have decided that I will not allow him to do this if I remain in power. I will never let NPR, NRC be implemented in Bengal.”

She said, “They injured my leg to prevent me from reaching out to the people. But I am a fearless person and will continue to fight with them till my last breath. I would like to thank people for voting for us in large numbers in the first two phases.”

While accusing the EC for acting on behalf of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Mamata said, “Why EC is silent on attacks on our workers by the central forces and the BJP goons. So far (since the first phase of election), 7-8 people were killed and four among the victims were TMC workers. It is my humble request to the EC to act impartially or else people of Bengal will give them a befitting reply through their democratic rights.”

On BJP’s alleged ‘divisive politics’, she said, “BJP is giving big lecture and playing Hindu-Muslim card. I would like to tell him that I belong to a Brahmin family and he should not play religious card with me. Don’t teach Hindu dharma to me. But the difference is, TMC believes in sentiments and emotions of all the people irrespective of their caste, creed and religion in Bengal.”

Mamata also said things will be clear soon who “siphoned off money from the Rafale deal”. Her statement came after French publication Mediapart has reported that the deal between India and France also involved a payment of 1.1 million euro by aviation major Dassault to an Indian middleman.