Following the bypoll results, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sprang back to her old, usual self holding no punches against her key rival BJP and State’s Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Over the last six months, since the announcement of the Lok Sabha result, when Trinamool Congress (TMC) lost 18 out of 42 seats to the BJP, Ms. Banerjee remained largely quiet. On Thursday afternoon she accused the BJP of “arrogance and pride.”
“Ek, dui, teen/BJP biday neen” [one, two and three/ BJP your are free to say adieu] she said and added that BJP was doing “whatever they want in every State.”
“Putting whoever [they do not like] behind bars. A combination of arrogance and pride is making them disrespect democracy. We [Bengal Opposition] waited for 34 years but when we [TMC] came to power we said we would not take any revenge and never targeted anyone of the CPI(M),” she said.
This is a claim which is always contested by the CPI-M.
Despite claims by one of BJP’s candidates that fear of the National Register of Citizens was one of the key reasons of defeat, Ms. Banerjee did not say so.
“All factors are important and responsible. Unemployment, selling of public sectors, suffering of farmers, workers, students, youth – all are important. Besides the BJP’s politics to divide the country and States by dividing communities is important as people want to live in peace,” she said.
Regarding taking part in the swearing-in ceremony of the Maharashtra government in Mumbai, Ms. Banerjee said that she had not officially received the invite.
“They first decided to conduct the ceremony on December 1, but later changed the date and doing it today. That is a good decision, I think. But they could not get in touch in such a short time. So I have not received official invite,” Ms. Banerjee said.
She did not clarify if she would attend the ceremony later tonight.
Ms. Banerjee also criticised Mr. Dhankhar in a manner that she had not done earlier.
Ms. Banerjee accused the Governor of lack of courtesy. Pointing out that she and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would greet each other with folded hands despite their differences, it was not the case with Mr. Dhankar.
“We have had some problems with Kesrinathji [previous Governor], but it was a workable relationship. And this is not what was expected,” she said.
