Run by a bunch of “goondas” NDA-2 had given India a regime more rancorous than Emergency, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday vowing to overthrow the Narendra Modi Government in 2019, the legwork for which would commence through a new “quit India movement” from August 9.
Addressing a huge rally on the occasion of Trinamool Congress’ Martyrs’ Day, Mamata said, “Things have come to such a pass that the citizens are not sure whether their rights, the rights of the Dalits and minorities guaranteed under the Constitution are secured or for that matter the rights even of the liberal Hindus still remain.”
No one from the media to the Opposition felt safe under the present regime, she said. “ED, CBI and I-T sleuths are unleashed on the Opposition parties that dare to raise their voices against this oppressive regime. Most of the national media save a few have been sold out and journalists, who dare to write the truth, are either beaten up or have to quit their jobs.”
Mamata’s hard-hitting comments came within a week of half a dozen of her senior party leaders, including powerful Ministers and MPs getting notices from the ED and CBI in the Narada payoff case.
While, the Modi Government, was chasing Trinamool leaders of Bengal “where merely Rs 2,000 crore is involved in the Sharada case” it was looking right through the larger scams in Karnataka and Rajasthan, Vyapam scam in MP, petroleum scam in Gujarat she said even as a section of the Opposition wondered whether her statement tantamount to circuitous admission of her party’s involvement in the chit fund scam.
“In Bengal they are sending CBI and ED because we have protested against notebandi and GST both of which entail even bigger scams. In demonetisation, BJP leaders amassed lakhs of crores of rupees. Notwithstanding their CBI raids, we will continue to protest against them come, what may,” a bellicose Chief Minister said.
Calling the BJP a party of “gaurakshas (cow demons) and not gaurakshak (cow protectors)”, she said “things have come to such a pass that they are now fixing the food code and dress code. The pregnant mothers are being asked not to take eggs. If they don’t take eggs then what will they take, your heads or simply grass,” she wondered.
Attacking the Centre for making all services Aaadhar compliant, she asked, “Is it not an infringement in privacyIJ Tomorrow your phone numbers will be linked to Aaadhar and they will listen to what transpires between your wife and you.”
Attacking the Centre for failing to manage its foreign policy well she said the current situation was impacting Bengal also. “They are creating problem in Bengal (read Darjeeling) which shares border with so many countries. Now who will tell these Kalidases (the ancient poet who allegedly cut the branch on which he sat) that if Bengal will be in danger then whole India will be in danger,” she said.
On the cross-voting in the State Assembly in the presidential elections, Mamata tended to discard the stories that a bunch of Trinamool Congress legislators might have voted for the NDA candidate saying “the BJP and the CPI(M) had jointly done some mischief by allying in the presidential polls.”