A day after Mamata Banerjee attacked the Narendra Modi Government for denying her the chance to “enhance” the “prestige” of India by taking part in the world peace conference in Rome the BJP hit back in equal measure saying the Bengal Chief Minister was going to attend a conference being organised by people whose only business was religious conversion.
Speaking at an election rally at Bhawanipore, Bengal Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said that the “Chief Minister is talking about denial of permission to visit Rome but she also owes an explanation regarding the acquiescence she gave to a programme that was being organized by the people whose only business is religious conversion taking advantage of people’s poverty and helplessness.”
The Chief Minister had earlier attacked the Prime Minister for being “jealous” towards her in denying her the permission to visit the global peace summit which was to be attended by Pope Francis, German Chancellor and Italian Prime Minister among others.
On Sunday too the Chief Minister raised the issue saying she was not going to Rome as a tourist but as person whose presence at the forum could have enhanced India’s prestige.
“They earlier stopped me from visiting Chicago … they stopped me from going to China --- which however I did not mind on account of the recent diplomatic developments --- then they did not allow me to go to Cambridge … I want to ask why … why was I being stopped … is there a political reason behind this...,” Banerjee said asking the voters of Bhawanipore from where she is seeking a by-election to retain her Chief Ministerial chair.
“Last time in the Assembly elections we called for a Khela that ended with the defeat of the mischief mongers who swarmed Bengal like daily passengers to disturb its secular tranquil … now the Khela will resume from Bhawanipore and end with the defeat of the BJP in the entire country … this Khela will herald the downfall of the BJP … it will end only after the BJP is thrown out of India … and we will make that happen … so Bhawanipore which is my home … where I have grown up has a great responsibility towards the nation,” she said.
She reminded her defeat would only hasten the Talibanisation of India (apparently by the BJP). “We will not allow the Talibanisation of India … we will not let Bengal to become UP, Assam and Tripura where the Opposition has no voice … where the Opposition parties are harassed and persecuted,” she said adding “the BJP would get a great boost if they won from Bhawanipore leading to imposition of draconian CAA and NRC regime … whereby they will strike your names out of the electoral list.”