‘You have turned the country into a jail’: Mamata Banerjee targets PM Modi
Mamata Banerjee asked the BJP why it was getting opposition leaders arrested if it was confident of victory in the Lok Sabha elections.
KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly threatening “stringent action” against Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders in his election speeches in the state, saying PM Modi had already turned the entire country into a jail.
“I respect the Prime Minister’s chair but is it befitting of a Prime Minister to use such language? He said ‘4 June (when the Lok Sabha election results are scheduled to be announced) ke baad sabko chun chun ke jail main bharunga’. (After June 4, we will throw the corrupt into prison) The truth is that you have already turned the nation into a jail. You have turned democracy into a jail,” the Bengal chief minister said at an election rally in Bankura district.
Banerjee underlined two instances of chief ministers being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate. “Why have you arrested Hemant Soren? He was the chief minister (of Jharkhand) and tribal leader. Why did you arrest (Delhi chief minister) Arvind Kejriwal? He is working from jail,” Banerjee said,
The chief minister’s attack comes a day after PM Modi addressed an election meeting in north Bengal’s Jalpaiguri on Sunday, accusing the ruling TMC of protecting criminals and nurturing corruption.
“Congress, Left and TMC have gone into an alliance against BJP. They want to save the corrupt while I want to get rid of the corrupt. TMC is a party that wants to slaughter law and the Constitution. After June 4, the action against corruption will gain pace,” Modi said.
Results of the seven-phase national elections, which start on April 19, are scheduled to be announced on June 4. In Bengal, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) set a record in 2019 by winning 18 of 42 seats, the BJP has targeted 25 seats.
Banerjee accused PM Modi of using the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Income Tax department against the Opposition. “You have CBI in one pocket and ED in the other… You have NIA in one pocket and Income Tax in the other. They manage your funding,” Banerjee said.
The chief minister said her party was confident of winning the Lok Sabha polls in Bengal. “We don’t need to arrest anybody. If you are so confident of winning the elections, why are you arresting our leaders? But we are not scared. We are Royal Bengal tigers,” Banerjee said.
“You are saying you will put everybody in jail after June 4. We will continue to be in power in Bengal after June 4. Law and order is a state subject. Yet, we are not saying we will arrest your leaders. I never utter such words,” said Banerjee.
Bengal BJP’s chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya hit back. “The TMC emerged from the womb of the Congress, a party that massacred democracy during the Emergency. Banerjee is carrying that DNA. Her party unleased terror during and after every election. Modi Ji is not putting anyone in jail. The agencies are acting under orders from various courts. Modi ji doing something that leaders of other parties don’t do. He is not protecting anyone,” Bhattacharya said.
