West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that the vote for the Opposition candidate, Meira Kumar, in the presidential election was a protest against the injustice meted out by the Centre.
“Eighteen parties have come together for these polls. We thank them. To the two or three parties that are with the BJP, I wish to tell you that the BJP will not spare you either when the time comes,” she said, after casting her vote in the Assembly complex.
She said it was the right time to form an alliance of the Opposition parties.
Diplomatic failure
Ms. Banerjee said West Bengal was the biggest sufferer because of the diplomatic failure of the Narendra Modi government. Her comments came amid the standoff with China at Doklam in Sikkim. She pointed to the State’s geographical location. “If Sikkim goes to China ... there being no difference between Sikkim and Darjeeling as they are adjacent ... Siliguri corridor is Chicken’s Neck, owing to the Centre’s faults and because of the deteriorating relations [with the neighbours]...,” she said. The Modi government had ruined India’s ties with Bangladesh, Nepal, China and Bhutan.
Arms training
She alleged that members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad burnt the effigy of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on July 1. “Why was it allowed? How can the VHP give arms training to children in the name of Durga Vahini?” she said.
The Chief Minister also raised questions on the silence and inaction of the central agencies asking, “Where is the RAW, IB, NSA and NIA,” she said.
