West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday alleged that the biggest syndicate in the country was being run by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah
“Syndicate? What syndicate? India knows only one syndicate and that is Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. There is no other syndicate,” Ms. Banerjee said, after addressing a rally at Siliguri in north Bengal.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership in West Bengal that has been accusing the Trinamool Congress of running a syndicate. Ms. Banerjee alleged that even the leaders of the BJP were “scared to raise their voice against Modi and Shah”.
On Sunday, after leading an all-women’s rally at Siliguri in north Bengal, the Trinamool Congress chairperson targeted the BJP government at the Centre, saying that while it accused the Trinamool of “ tolabaazi ” (extortion), the BJP was selling the country.
“If you are increasing the price of LPG, then why would women and sisters not leave you?” she asked, adding that the light in the Ujjwala Scheme had faded because of the LPG price hikes. Ms. Banerjee also ridiculed the BJP’s slogan “ Sonar Bangla ” (golden Bengal).
“They will make ‘ Sonar Bangla ’ by selling the assets as they have done in Delhi. The only thing that they have left is changing the name of India to Modi,” Ms. Banerjee said.
The Chief Minister, in her own imitable style, also dared the Prime Minister to a one-on-one debate. “ Khela hobe (the game is on). You fix the time and date. You fight one-to-one with Mamata Banerjee with the people as the spectators,” she said.
Ms. Banerjee accused the Centre of deciding to give water of the Teesta river to Bangladesh, without even asking West Bengal. She also raised questions on what the Centre had done about opening the closed tea gardens of north Bengal after winning so many seats from north Bengal.
The Chief Minister said she would hold a similar “ pad yatra ” (road show) in Kolkata on Monday on account of International Women’s Day.
