Mamata seeks Modi’s ouster, ‘national govt’ under Advani

Kolkata:  Locked in a bitter feud with the Centre over demonetisation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday sought resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and mooted a “national government” headed by BJP veteran L K Advani, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley or Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
The TMC supremo, who has declared an all out war against the Modi dispensation over demonetisation and arrest of her party MPs in chit fund scam, sought President Pranab Mukherjee’s intervention to “save the country from Narendra Modi”.
“All opposition parties should forget their differences and come together to save the nation. “It’s high time the President intervened and saved the country. That person (Modi) can’t lead the nation. He should step down. There should be a national government,” she said, suggesting the names of Advani, Jaitley and Singh to replace Modi.
She appreciated Mukherjee’s yesterday’s statement that demonetisation could lead to a temporary slowdown of the economy. “I have never seen such a vindictive government at the Centre. They are breaking age-old institutions like the Planning Commission and others. They are breaking the backbone of the government,” she told reporters.
The Chief Minister claimed West Bengal had lost Rs 5,500 crore following demonetisation and accused the Centre of “letting loose a reign of terror” on Opposition parties. A combative Banerjee also dared the BJP leaders to “touch her” when she visits the party-ruled Jharkhand. (PTI)