Kolkata, March 7: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a blistering attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of “betraying and insulting” the people of the state who trusted she will bring about a change after the Left rule.
He also accused her of nepotism by choosing to play the limited role of “bua” (aunt) to her “bhatija” (nephew) instead of becoming “Didi” (elder sister) to the people.
Addressing a massive BJP rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds, his first in West Bengal after the announcement of assembly polls, Modi hit out at his detractors who accuse him of favouring a handful of his businessmen friends.
“You have betrayed and insulted the people of Bengal who trusted that you will be the harbinger of change after the end of the Left rule. You smashed to smithereens (chaknachoor) their hopes and dreams,” he said, excoriating the TMC supremo.
He alleged Banerjee promoted nepotism while neglecting the people who fondly called her ‘Didi’. “Bengal chose you in role of ‘Didi’ but you preferred being ‘bua’ to your ‘bhatija’,” he said.
The BJP has been accusing Banerjee of trying to install her nephew and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek as the next chief minister.
Hitting back at rival leaders like former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Banerjee, who often accuse him of favouring his industrialist friends, he said given his humble background he valued friendship. “All 130 crore people of India are my friends, I work for them. I gave 90 lakh gas connections to my friends of Bengal. I have special affinity with tea, and the tea garden workers of Bengal are my friends for whom I have implemented a social security scheme,” he said.
Modi has often spoken about how he used to sell tea at a railway station and on trains as a small boy. He also attacked Banerjee for triggering the insider- outsider debate.
“When those believing in Marx and Lenin and a party like the TMC, an offshoot of the Congress, are parties of insiders, how the BJP, for whose foundation Syama Prasad Mookerjee was the source of inspiration, can be a party of outsiders,” he said.
Modi said he was committed to bringing about “asol parivartan” in West Bengal where all sections of people progress but nobody is appeased, and infiltration is stopped. (PTI)
