Bamboo and dog barbs fly

Meghdeep Bhattacharyya, TT, Jalpaiguri, Dec. 3: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today fell back on a crude expression and made a reference to a dog while attacking her critics during a government programme in Jalpaiguri.

Mamata said the BJP and "a section of the media" were trying to sabotage her party and the government.

" Nijeyra kortey pareyni, jara korchhey sharakkhon tadeyr pechhoney ki korey bamboo dewa jay tar chinta korey jachhey. (They couldn't themselves work for the people, they are always trying to figure out how to shove bamboos up the... of those who are doing it)," the chief minister said.

Through the transparent lectern, the chief minister could be seen gesticulating with her right hand while she was making the bamboo references.

"Bamboo baansh-jhaarey hoy, ghorbari toiritey kaajey lagey. Ar janeyna bamboo ditey ditey bamboo jokhon tara korbey, shobai tokhon je kothay jabey, palabar poth pabey na.... Shutorang keu keu beshi kotha boley phelchhey. Kotha bola ta welcome kori jodi sheta shotto hoy (Bamboo grows in groves and is useful in building houses. They don't know that when the bamboo starts chasing them, they will have nowhere to go.... Therefore, some people are talking too much. I welcome talking, if what is said is true)," she added.

Without taking names but in an apparent reference to BJP's Bengal observer Sidharth Nath Singh, the chief minister said she would not chase and bite a dog that had bitten her.

"Some people are coming here and telling us " Bangla chhorkey bhaago (Quit Bengal and run)". To them, I can say a lot of things. But I shouldn't, just because I have a microphone in hand. After all, if a dog comes and bites us, we don't go chasing the dog to bite it back," said the chief minister.

At a Calcutta rally on Sunday, Singh had set the tone for the BJP's forthcoming campaign by unveiling a slogan that went: " Bhaag, Madan, bhaag.... Bhaag, Mukul, bhaag.... Bhaag, Mamata, bhaag".

At a political programme the week before that, Mamata had used an expletive to describe a senior BJP leader.

Mamata's comments and gestures today come at a time Parliament proceedings have been stalled because of protests by the Opposition, including Trinamul, over a minister's derogatory remarks. The BJP went on the offensive today in the House by drawing attention to Trinamul MP Tapas Paul's "rape-and-shoot" speech.