Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee on Wednesday kicked up a row by saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have to return to Gujarat as a “rat” following the countrywide protests against the note ban, remarks that drew a sharp response from BJP.
“In 2019 (lok Sabha poll) you will be reduced to a rat. You will no longer be a lion. (Narendra Modi ke Chuhar bachcha hoye Gujarat phire jete hobe) Modi will have to return to Gujarat as a rat,” he said while addressing a meeting in front of the Reserve Bank of India office here.
Hours later, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has taken on Modi over demonetisation and is riled by the arrest of her two party MPs in the alleged Rose Valley chit fund scam, also used the rat analogy to target the Prime Minister and CBI.
Hitting back at TMC leaders for their remarks on PM, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said it is “lowest that politicians can stoop to” and said it reflects their frustation over growing popularity of the Prime Minister and BJP.
“I am shocked and depressed over the abusive language used against PM Modi by TMC leaders. This is the lowest that politicians can stoop to. I hope their leadership realises their folly,” he said.
“This only reflects their frustration over the growing popularity of PM and BJP,” Naidu said in a statement in New Delhi.
Reacting to Kalyan Banerjee's comment, BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said in Kolkata the TMC MP was not mentally fit to be a member of Parliament.
"I really feel ashamed to think of him as an MP. He is not at all fit to be an MP. He should immediately resign from his post. He should visit a doctor and have a proper mental check up done as he has lost his mental balance," Sinha said.