SILIGURI: The only ‘syndicate’ in India is that of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, chief minister Mamata Banerjee told a rally in Siliguri on Sunday, where she equated the upcoming elections as a “battle for survival”.
“If you can’t ensure that [survival], Modi will divide and take pieces of Bengal away,” she told the crowd after a 3km road rally to protest against rising LPG prices, adding that she was ready to take on the PM in a one-on-one public debate at a time and place of his choosing.
“Prime Minister, you never come to Bengal for work. You come here to spread canards and lies,” Banerjee said. “You can come for your political compulsions. You came today, too. But before campaigning, answer why the price of an LPG cylinder is nearly Rs 900. Why are kitchens on fire? Why are petrol and diesel prices rising daily? Bengal gives free rice. But one needs to buy gas for Rs 900 to even boil it.” she said, adding, “You speak of tolabaazi. You speak of syndicate. What syndicate? India knows only one syndicate: the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah syndicate. And they do not even listen to BJP.”
Banerjee also countered Modi on his claim that Bengal will see “parivartan (cha-nge)”. “Parivartan toh Delhi me hoga (Change will come in Delhi). You will have to leave then,” she said, adding, “The five states (where there are elections) will hit BJP for a six. You will lose everywhere. You talk of Sonar Bangla after selling Delhi. After selling off the Red Fort, Indian Railways, BSNL, Coal India, Air India, the only thing left to change is India’s name, after your name. You are the biggest tolabaaz. Poor people may get Rs 5 or Rs 100 if they engage in tolabaazi. What happens when you do it? SAIL was sold for how much? Rail, how much?”
Banerjee said cooking gas should be provided “for free”. “Mothers and sisters are hit the most when kitchens are on fire. They constantly give their daily dose of lies. Did you get that Rs 15 lakh in your bank account they promised you in the last polls? Did they open the seven tea gardens they promised when you voted for them in the last Lok Sabha polls?” she said, adding, “The PM lies. It’s a behaviour that does not behove the PM’s chair. Give me a date and time. Tell me when I will come for a debate.Khela hobey (the match is on). People will be the judges. I am prepared to debate him one-on-one.”
The CM also took on Modi for alleged Covid mismanagement. “When people were dying and suffering due to Covid, where were you? I was on the streets and hospitals. You spoke virtually. And now the vaccines will have your name. You speak of women’s security. In Bengal, women can still step out on streets at night. In Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, they can do that after 3pm,” she said.
Before her speech, the chief minister led a rally from the Mallaguri More to the Sardar Hasmi Chowk. Trinamool leaders said there were 50,000 people in the rally, of whom 80% were women. The rally had the party’s north Bengal candidates, along with MPs Dola Sen, Shanta Chettri and actor-MPs Nusrat Jahan and Mimi Chakraborty. “Around 50,000 people from four assembly constituencies of Siliguri subdivision participated in the rally,” Darjeeling district Trinamool Congress president (Plains) RanjanSarkar, said.
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