BJP would have to pay dearly if any more TMC leader is arrested: Mamata

EOI, MALDA, 4 May 2017: Standing firm on her political stand chief minister Mamata Banerjee today threatened that the attempt of arresting a single Trinamool Congress leader would prove to be dear for the BJP. The chief minister also urged the people of the state to prevent BJP at any cost for the sake of the state’s secular heritage.

Mamata was addressing a mass gathering at district sports association’s ground here following an administrative review meeting at Malda College auditorium today. Placing a list of the developmental projects in front of the audience, she said that her government was serving the people within its limited financial capacity. “Our projects like Kanyashree, Sabuj Sathi, Gatidhara etc are unique welfare schemes for the people. Nowhere in the world onecan find so many benevolent projects taken up by a state government despite step motherly attitude of the central government,” she said.

“We are being threatened by the BJP because we have protested against their anti-people policies and activities. Our leaders were arrested because we did not support demonetization that left the rich people unaffected and poor people poorer,” the chief minister said. “Even I was asked not to meet Naveen Patnaik, my Orissa counterpart when I went to Bhubaneswar recently. I paid no heed to such warning. I would fight BJP’s divisive politics come what may,” she stated. Accusing BJP of politics based on religious hatred, Mamata said: “They speak of Hinduism. Actually, they are fake Hindus. Our Hinduism is based on the preaching of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. We believe in philosophy of tolerance. BJP’s Rama is different from our Rama. Our Rama is a worshipper of the goddess Durga but their Rama is a companion of Ravana,” she said.

Defending party leaders like Mukul Roy, Suvendu Adhikary, Firhad Hakim and others the TMC supremo said: “They come of affluent families. Why they should accept a small sum from the agents of BJP. If any of our leaders is arrested, the people of West Bengal would arrest lakhs of BJP leaders.” Accusing BJP of continuous attempt to tarnish the image of the state Mamata Banerjee said, “False images are being circulated through social networking sites to defame the state. A central minister has claimed that our state is undergoing reckless violence. Time has come to give them a befitting reply.”

The Trinamool supremo and chief minister also slammed the ‘tacit understanding’ between the CPM and the BJP.