In a circuitous but obvious reference to the BJP which has made massive inroads in Bengal politics Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday attacked the “conspirators” who had “tampered the EVM machines” and told an Eid gathering to “remain united for the sake of the country” as the “tricksters who manipulated EVMs would disappear soon.”
Making a political statement from the platform of an Eid gathering inKolkata Banerjee told the Muslims devotees that “those who have come up rapidly by tampering EVMs will go as rapidly as they came,” and till then “all of us will have to remain united.”
Drawing a huge applause from the congregation Banerjee said “when the sun comes up it is initially hot but it cools down as the day goes by. Similarly those who tampered the EVMs will fade away as fast as they came up.”
Stopping short stop of naming the BJP, Banerjee said the unity of the people would finally see the back of the saffron outfit. She warned, “Jo hum se takrayega chur chur ho jayega (anyone who would try to mess with her would be blown into pieces.)”
The BJP had effected a meteoric rise in Bengal winning 18 out of 42 seats in the recently concluded elections leaving 22 for the ruling Trinamool Congress and two for the Congress. In at least two seats the TMC could win only by a whisker of a margin.
Banerjee’s speech also came amid an ongoing war of words between the two parties over the chanting of the Jai Shri Ram slogan by the saffron supporters. The TMC has responded to the BJP’s slogan with its own catchphrase of “Jai Hind, Bande Mataram and Jai Bangla.”
Asking the people to remain united at the time of defeat Banerjee asked the gathering to “shun fear and act bravely. You are dead the moment you are afraid. So don’t be afraid and remain united. We will win all the battles if we remain united.”
Reacting to Banerjee’s statements Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said “one who accuses others of politicising religion herself is doing so by making political statements in religious gathering,” adding “she is being haunted by the EVMs but is refusing to accept the verdict of the people.”
On “Chur Chur” slogan Ghosh said “the person who is threatening others with such slogans should mind their own party which is getting disintegrated by the day. Soon there will be no TMC in Bengal.”