'They are trying to spoil my campaign' BJP's sinister endeavour to conquer Bengal: Mamata

The Trinamul chief tore into the saffron party over its alleged misuse of resources, including central agencies, to stop her

Mamata Banerjee shows a painting during the dharna on Tuesday.:Pradip Sanyal

Meghdeep Bhattacharyya   | TT | Calcutta   | 14.04.21 : Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday came out all guns blazing, barely 15 minutes after the 24-hour campaign ban imposed by the Election Commission of India had ended at 8pm, and tore into the BJP over its alleged misuse of resources, including central agencies, to stop her.

After a three-and-a-half-hour dharna — during which she mostly painted — by the Gandhi statue on Mayo Road in protest against the commission’s decision, the Bengal chief minister wondered aloud at her Barasat and Bidhannagar rallies in the evening why the BJP was trying “only to stop her and nothing else”.

Mamata steered clear of directly attacking the poll panel, possibly because she is the biggest campaigner for her party and any more restrictions could affect Trinamul adversely in the 159 seats that are yet to go to the polls.

Some of the key points Mamata raised after the ban ended on Tuesday evening:

Context: The campaign ban.

Mamata: They are trying to spoil my campaign. The BJP and its leaders remain unaffected, they campaign freely…. Anyway, the responsibility for judging right and wrong in this I leave to the people.

There is no point trying to stop me. Hit me and I hit back so much harder. I’m not one to run away and retire to my room.

There are those who talk about opening fire, about killing four more, eight more, killing people everywhere. But in their cases, total silence. Plastered mouths.

Mamata Banerjee, however, has done a grave wrong by urging people to vote united, against votes getting polarised. I still say so, I will always say so. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, SCs, STs, Matuas, women, students, youths…. I want everyone’s vote, for the Trinamul Congress… to save Bengal, to keep Bengal from losing everything it holds dear.

Context: Why are you scared of me, BJP?

Mamata: I cannot for the life of me understand why such elaborate efforts are on from Delhi and around the country only to stop me, nothing else…. Only to conquer Bengal, an oshubho procheshta (sinister endeavour)…. Well, I can tell you clearly yet again, I will not let Bengal become Gujarat.

You (the BJP) have endless money, people, resources, besides every agency that is at the Centre’s disposal. Despite that, why are you so scared of me? Only one reason…. You have everything; do you know why you will lose despite that? Because I’m a street fighter; I have fought my battles on the ground. I do not command armies from upstairs.

Mamata Banerjee at the Barasat rally on Tuesday evening.;PTI photo

Context: Union home minister Amit Shah’s claim before the Gorkhas that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was not being considered.

Mamata: They went to Siliguri and started saying the NRC was never talked about, and Mamataji is supposedly lying…. Have I been lying? Had they or had they not talked about the NRC (in the Bengal context)? Did they or did they not clear the decks for it (the contentious citizenship tripod)? Do the legal provisions still exist or not? Are 14 lakh people still earmarked for detention camps in Assam or not? Then who is lying?

Context: The attempts by Shah and others to polarise voters over two separate Sitalkuchi incidents, clubbing them together and accusing Mamata of the politics of appeasement.

Mamata: These two brothers of the lethal BJP syndicate, Modi and Shah, they are going to Jalpaiguri and saying Mamata Banerjee is not talking about the Rajbanshi (victim, Ananda Burman). Who said so? Mamata is not the BJP. She spoke about all five (victims from the two incidents on Saturday in Sitalkuchi). She doesn’t thrive on death or the politics of death.

You go to the Rajbanshis and tell them something to try and turn them against me. Polarising all the time.

Five people died. Four died from the central forces opening fire and another died in a voters’ queue — but not from firing by the central forces (but) from antisocials opening fire. Well, I think the BJP killed its own person… now the BJP has to prove it hasn't.

The day before, our Mathabhanga candidate Girindranath Burman, such an educated man, he was thrashed. He suffered serious injuries to the head. That is why Rajbanshis were displeased with you (the BJP). That is why you took the life of a Rajbanshi boy. Then here you are, making lofty claims.

I’m going to Sitalkuchi tomorrow (Wednesday). I would love to meet the BJP family too. But if they do not come, what can I do? I want to help everybody. I might have issues with you (the BJP), but not with your supporters, not the masses. I view everyone equally.

Context: Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying different things at different places in the state in a bid to woo various sections of the electorate.

Mamata: The two of them, going to different places and saying different things.... He (Shah) only lies, all the time…. He (Modi) is not only the biggest liar I have seen, but also a gobet (nincompoop). This is not an abuse; in Bengali a gobet means a person with less wisdom.