Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked Mamata Banerjee for making the Chief Secretary to send the reply of her electoral misconduct to the Election Commission, the Bengal Chief Minister warned “those in Delhi who are trying to bring us to disrepute will have to pay dearly.”
She told an election rally at Memari in Burdwan that the Prime Minister was “influencing constitutional bodies to suppress, torture and insult States like Bengal. He is insulting us from Delhi by using his position. But we will not forget it.”
The Chief Minister who had been on the defensive on so many issues including violence and corruption said “no one has the right to insult me just because I am contesting elections. We are not your servants. We are not scared of you. And remember if you shout I will blast.”
She said, “the way I am being insulted everyday … I will take account of it all inch by inch,” adding, “Modi attacked me without taking full information on what the Election Commission had demanded from me. He is bringing the reference of Indira Gandhi who was suspended for six months. But he made such statements without knowing the real issue. How can someone think of running the country without so little informationIJ”
The Commission had earlier asked Banerjee to explain her electoral misconduct whereby she had promised that Asansol would be made a district. She also threatened her Opposition saying she would settle scores after May 19 when the election results were out.
Banerjee subsequently made the State Chief Secretary to give the reply.
Incidentally, the Commission on Monday refused to accept the reply saying the notice had in fact been sent to the leader of a political party and not a Chief Minister though the address marked on the letter was Nabanna, the State secretariat.