Two days after she took offence to raising of slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ , West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on January 25 raised similar slogans to target the BJP and Left parties.
“Hare Krishna Hare Ram bidayi jao BJP baam [Hare Krishna Hare Ram, go away BJP and Left],” she said at a rally at Purshura in Hooghly district.
The BJP has alleged that Ms. Banerjee is against slogans relating to Lord Ram.
She referred to the incident at Victoria Memorial in Kolkata on January 23 where she refused to address the gathering in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans were raised.
“They were trying to tease me at Victoria Memorial in the presence of the Prime Minister... I would have saluted you if you had hailed Subhas Bose... But if you try and put me at gun- point, I know how to retaliate. Whoever is in the queue must leave as soon as possible,” she stated.
Dissent in TMC
Ms. Banerjee also touched on dissent in her party. She said all the “thieves are going to the BJP and trying to clean themselves in its washing machine”.
“Let them go to the BJP and stay there. We will not take them back, they have just gone there to save their money. Those who are standing in line to join them, let them go there quickly as the train will leave,” she said. Those deserting were going because they were sure that the Trinamool Congress would not have given them ticket.
Highlighting the schemes of her government, Ms. Banerjee claimed that she was “pahredaar” (guard) of the people in the State.
