Claiming that it was her government which took measures to save the lives of people from the cyclone Remal that hit the state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not speaking the truth about efforts made by Delhi in monitoring it and rescue efforts after the storm. Speaking at an election rally in Barasat, Modi said that the Centre was providing all help to the West Bengal government to handle the situation in the aftermath of cyclone Remal that made landfall on the adjacent coasts of the state and Bangladesh around midnight of Sunday.
“We shifted nearly 46 lakh people (to safer places) and saved their lives,” the chief minister said, addressing an election rally at Behala in Kolkata Dakshin Lok Sabha constituency in favour of Trinamool Congress candidate Mala Roy.
Banerjee said that it was unfortunate that seven people died because of the cyclone, lakhs of people could have lost their lives if the state administration had not taken measures in time.
The prime minister’s claim that the Centre monitored the cyclone from Delhi, Banerjee asserted that this was not true.
“You (Modi) should think before saying something,” the TMC supremo said, seeking to give a retort to the PM’s comments in his election speeches at Jadavpur and Ashoknagar on Tuesday.
Over the National Disaster Relief Force’s efforts in search and rescue and relief operations, Banerjee said that the state has to pay for the work done by NDRF.
“If required, I will not take the assistance of NDRF; we pay 50 per cent of the cost borne by it,” she said.
Banerjee said that her administration has worked to its fullest capacity to mitigate the woes of the cyclone-affected people, stating that most of the people who were brought to flood shelters had already gone back to their homes.
Banerjee claimed that Prime Minister Modi was inaugurating Metro Rail projects in Kolkata which were initiated by her as railway minister in two terms.
“He will not get a chance to inaugurate projects anymore, he is not coming back (to power) anymore,” Banerjee said.
Banerjee accused the BJP of orchestrating accusations of sexual atrocities on women in Sandeshkhali.
She questioned the reason for holding the Lok Sabha elections in seven phases, alleging that the Election Commission was doing the bidding of Modi.
Banerjee accused Modi of trying to dictate what people will eat.
“Modi-babu, you can eat what you want, but can Bengalis be deprived of their fish and rice?” she asked.
The chief minister claimed that the growth rate of Bengal was higher than that of the country and accused the BJP of plotting to take away jobs in the state.
“He has spoken of giving back money looted from people, but it is the BJP which has sold off the country,” she said.
Claiming that the Modi government has not been able to unearth black money as it had promised, she said, “The mafia have been turned from black to white in the BJP’s washing machine.”
Banerjee alleged that the Modi regime at the Centre has “turned the country into a jail.”
She claimed that there will not be any more elections in the country if Modi returns to power.
Challenging Modi to a public debate at any venue chosen by him, Banerjee said, “Let the press put questions both to him and me.”
She alleged that the country and the Constitution have been sold off.
Banerjee said that she will also hold a rally from Shyambazar to Swami Vivekananda’s residence at Simla Street in north Kolkata on Wednesday, the route on which the PM held a roadshow on Tuesday.
She reiterated that the TMC was not in alliance with any party in West Bengal for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, stating that she has fought against the CPI-M for 34 years and is not willing to have any truck with it.
“If they (CPI-M) are there along with everyone else in Delhi, why should I object? But in Bengal, we are fighting alone,” she said.
On Modi’s ‘Sent by God’ comment, the TMC supremo said, “A person who is God should not be in politics. I will make a temple for him and offer him flowers, sweets and even dhokla.”
Claiming that PM Modi comes to Bengal only before elections, she alleged that the BJP government was depriving the state of funds due to it from the Centre.
“He (Modi) used to say that Durga Puja is not allowed to be done in Bengal, but the state has got a UNESCO award for the celebrations, proving him wrong,” she said.
