Mamata Banerjee wants the people of Barrackpore to give same treatment to Narendra Modi what Mangal Pandey had done to the Britishers—triggering the Great Mutiny 162 years ago.
Addressing a huge crowd at Bhatpara, the Bengal Chief Minister on Thursday fired multiple salvos against the Prime Minister and “his band of gaddars (traitors)” who quit Trinamool Congress to join the BJP in an alleged “lust of power and pelf.”
Like the British colonialists then, “Narendra Modi and his BJP today are the biggest threat to the country,” Banerjee said adding the people of Barrackpore should keep in mind that this was the place from where the Sepoy Mutiny started against the most oppressive colonial power.
“You should keep in mind that the Sepoy Mutiny started from here before going to vote in the elections,” Banerjee said evading a statement more mutinous than that but apparently communicating the message she wanted to give.
Mangal Pandey a native sepoy in the British army had rebelled against his colonial bosses and was subsequently hanged. The rebellion caught fire and wind to spread all over the country forcing the British crown to take control of Indian administration in its own hand and invoke the Government of India Act 1958 before appointing Lord Canning the first Vice Roy of India.
Cut to elections: TMC’s outgoing-MP Dinesh Trivedi is pitted against Arjun Singh a local strongman and once a close associate of Banerjee who quit the party before the elections to join the BJP. Singh also an MLA from the Bhatpara Assembly segment under Barrackpore parliamentary constituency resigned his post before quitting his party necessitating a by-poll for the MLA seat too.
Calling Singh and Mukul Roy — former top TMC leader who joined the BJP last year to become its election in-charge — the two “Gaddars (traitors),” Banerjee cautioned the people against voting for them as “traitors are forever traitors.”
Shouting once again the slogans of “Modi hatao, Desh Bachao,” Banerjee said “if the BJP Government returns to power that will be the end of democracy in India as they will change the constitution, subvert the constitutional institutions.” India wanted a “Government of the people, by the people, for the people” and not a Government by Modi, she said.
Attacking Modi for spreading lies in Bengal by upholding the Gujarat Model of development Banerjee said not only the Prime Minister did nothing for Gujarat when he was the Chief Minister of that State but also he did nothing for Bengal as the Prime Minister.
“He does not have any knowledge of Bengali culture. Neither has he done anything for the State. He only brags about his own achievements and tells lies,” Banerjee said reminding the people that “BJP has its hands stained with blood from riots it has incited all over the country,” warning “there will be no peace in India if they return to power.” Comparing Modi with dreaded dacoit Gabbar Singh of Sholay fame Banerjee said “India had seen leaders like Gandhiji, Netaji, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, but we have never seen a leader like Modi who resembles Gabbar Singh.”