The war of words intensified between the BJP and Trinamool Congress with Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attacking the saffron outfit for destroying India with its divisive politics while BJP president JP Nadda slamming the Chief Minister and his nephew Abhishek Banerjee for degrading Bengal’s rich culture by mounting personal attacks on adversaries.
Flagging off the second leg of Parivartan Yatra from pilgrim town of Tarapeeth in Birbhum and Lalgarh in Jangalmahal Nadda on Tuesday alleged how the Mamata Banerjee Government had not only institutionalised corruption, criminalized politics and politicized the police but also it has defiled the State’s once rich culture by hurling slangs at the opposition leaders.
“When I started the tour of Bengal she prefixed invectives against my name,” Nadda said in an apparent reference to how Banerjee had alluded to him as “Nadda, Chadda, Gadda, Fadda …” from one of her rallies.
And then he reminded how the Chief Minister’s nephew publicly attacked the dignity of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s father Sisir Adhikari a veteran politician, a former Union Minister and a sitting MP.
“While Pisi (aunt) abused me, the Bhaipo (nephew) did the same to a Suvendu Adhikari’s father who is a senior politician,” he said asking “is it the way you preserve the rich culture of Bengal?” He said “The Chief Minister is accusing the BJP of soiling Bengal’s culture … now it is for the people to decide who is soiling the culture of Bengal,” adding the “this is the reason why the real Poribartan (change) is required in Bengal and why the people have decided to bring in the real Poribartan by bringing the BJP to power.”
The TMC is trying to divide the people by invoking “insider-outsider” politics which is not the culture of Bengal. “This State is known for the culture of Swami Vivekananda, Vidya Sagar, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore and not the culture that is being preached by the Pisi and Bhaipo and their party men,” he said adding only the BJP can restore to its original glory.
The TMC's slogan of “'Maa-Mati, Manush'” (motherland and people) has been reduced to “dictatorship, tolabaji (extortion) and appeasement,” he said, alleging how “police have been politicized, politics has been criminalized, corruption has been institutionalized by the TMC Government.”
Banerjee on the other hand slammed the BJP for unleashing a divisive and destructive politics in India. “After unleashing divisive politics in other States they have come to Bengal to divide the people and destroy the State … the BJP will destroy everything,” Banerjee who held a number of rallies at Malda, Murshidabad and Kalna said adding “the people of Uttar Pradesh who had brought this party to power are now regretting their decision
Attacking the saffron outfit for its alleged anti-farmer policies she said that “the farmers will be left with nothing if the BJP comes to power … they will loot the farmers and take their lands… Farmers will sow and reap their crops and they will take away everything from them.”
Slamming her former trusted colleagues Suvendu Adhikar, Rajib Banerjee and others who had recently left the TMC to join the BJP, Banerjee said “it is good that the black sheep have left the party … I will request others who want to quit to do so now,” adding how the turncoats had betrayed her when she needed their service the most. “A mother rears her children with utmost care … but what will you call them if they leave that mother after when they grow up … particularly when she is in trouble,” Banerjee said in an apparent emotional note.
Meanwhile, a senior IPS officer Humayun Kabir who quit his service the last month on Tuesday joined the TMC in presence of the Chief Minister saying he had been inspired by her developmental works. Kabir was the Commissioner of Police at Chandannagar when he ordered the arrest of some BJP workers who raised the provocative “Goli Maaro...” slogans from the rally of Suvendu Adhikari.
“Mamata Banerjee has brought development to Bengal. I have worked under her and I have seen her stand by people. I have been inspired by her. A party from outside is trying to win here by spreading division.
The people of Bengal will not accept these fake sadhus and throw them into the caves of the Himalayas,” Kabir said.