KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday hit out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah shortly after he accused the former of trampling democracy in the state and alleged rampant corruption during her rule.
Attacking the Home Minister, Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter and said that Shah was someone who had put the “inclusivity of India in danger.”
“@AmitShah, someone who's himself put the inclusivity of India in danger, talks about 'restoring' the culture of #Bengal. Doesn't he remember, it was @MamataOfficial who restored statue of Vidya Sagar, vandalised by his men in front of his own eyes,” she tweeted.
.@AmitShah, someone who's himself put the inclusivity of India in danger, talks about 'restoring' the culture of #Bengal. Doesn't he remember, it was @MamataOfficial who restored statue of Vidya Sagar, vandalised by his men in front of his own eyes.#BengalRejectsAmitShah pic.twitter.com/MO8LVl5OXv
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) June 9, 2020
The Trinamool Congress chief tagged her tweet with a hashtag #BengalRejectsAmitShah. The counter-attack from the TMC supremo came shortly after Home Minister Amit Shah attacked West Bengal Chief Minister over the alleged culture of political violence in the state.
Shah said though the BJP wants to expand its influence in the TMC-ruled state, its goal is to rid West Bengal of the "environment of terror". "Bengal is the only state in the entire country where the culture of political violence is flourishing," he told the BJP's virtual 'Jan Samvad' rally.
The Home Minister said despite the BJP winning a staggering 303 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, he held the 18 it won in the state dear. The senior BJP leader assailed the West Bengal government for not implementing the Ayushman Bharat health scheme for the poor.
Castigating Banerjee over her stand on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Shah said the people of Bengal will reduce her to a "political refugee" because it.
The Union Home Minister lauded the Narendra Modi government for its bold steps in the aftermath of the Uri and Pulwama attacks.
"Nobody uttered a word when terrorists intruded and beheaded our soldiers with impunity when the UPA was in power. Our surgical and air strikes sent out a strong message that we have zero tolerance to terrorism," he said.
He accused the Trinamool Congress government of patronising corruption. "There is corruption everywhere. It continued unabated even when the people of Bengal were reeling under the impact of cyclone Amphan," he alleged.
Shah said Mamata Banerjee had "insulted" migrants by calling 'Shramik Special' trains carrying them to Bengal during the lockdown "Corona Express".
“The name ‘Corona Express’ that you have given, Mamata didi, will become your exit route. You’ve added salt to the wounds of the migrant workers and they will not forget this,” said Shah during an online address to workers at ‘West Bengal Jan Samvad’ rally.
The BJP has been holding these virtual rallies to spread the message of the party and the government and also give a push to political activity.
