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“I am not Modi, I don't tell lies,” is what CM Mamata Banerjee said at a poll rally in West Bengal on Wednesday, 3 April, in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's jibe calling her a “speed breaker” stalling development in the state.
Banerjee also referred to the prime minister as “expiry babu” in her speech and dared him to participate in a direct debate with her.
PM Modi had earlier called Mamata Banerjee a ‘speedbreaker’ who is stalling development in the state while addressing a rally in West Bengal’s Siliguri.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Kolkata's Brigade ground will be the first time in the last six to seven decades that the state will witness a covered rally, The Economic Times reported.
The report said that as many as nine hangars were built to be able to accommodate close to a lakh people. This will be the first time PM Modi will address people at the Brigade Parade Ground.
Addressing a rally in West Bengal’s Siliguri, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a dig at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee a “speed breaker,” who is stalling development in the state.
Hitting out at the Congress for its manifesto, which proposes amendment to AFSPA, Modi said the Congress wants to snatch the “protective shield” from the army.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again targeted the Congress party over its manifesto and said that the Congress has tied the hands of armed forces in front of terrorists and stone pelters.
Modi, in his speech, said that the Congress has bowed down to terrorism as its manifesto has promised to remove the law that protects the security forces in terror-affected areas in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Today, some people, in their hate for Modi, have started speaking against India. Who raised doubts on air strikes? Who demoralised the Armed Forces? Who had asked for the count of bodies of terrorists?” he added.
“I am not Modi, I don't tell lies,” retorted Mamata Banerjee at a poll rally in West Bengal on Wednesday, 3 April after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused her of acting as a “speed breaker,” who is stalling development in the state.
Banerjee also called referred to the prime minister as “expiry babu” in her speech and dared him to participate in a direct debate with her.
She also added that the income of the farmers increased three times in Bengal while 12,000 farmers committed suicide during Modi’s government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday, 3 April, hit out at the Congress for seeking to dilute the law that protects the armed forces in terror-affected areas and alleged the party is speaking the language of Pakistan.
Modi accused the Congress of bowing down to terrorism and alleged that the anti-Modi obsession of opposition leaders like Mamata Banerjee and Rahul Gandhi has actually turned them into leaders who are opposing the interests of the nation.
Modi alleged that just like the dynastic politics of the Congress has ruined the nation in the last 60 years, the aunt-nephew (Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee) government has also ruined Bengal in the last seven years.
“The time has come to end the misrule of the TMC in Bengal,” he said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, 3 April responded to PM Modi’s ‘speedbreaker’ remark against her, describing him as "Expiry PM".
The war of words between Modi and Banerjee heated up the battle of Bengal in the ongoing general election.
Modi kick-started BJP's campaign in the state Wednesday launching onslaught on TMC supremo. Banerjee, whose party-men see her as a PM candidate, preponed start of poll campaign in the state with a rally at Dinhata in Cooch Behar district to coincide with PM Modi's public meeting on Wednesday.
She also dared him to participate in direct debate with her in television or in a public rally.
Claiming that her government in West Bengal has done a lot for the welfare of the people of the state, Banerjee told a public rally here that income of farmers in the state has increased three times under her rule.
"I am not Modi,I don't tell lies," she said, alleging that the PM has made false claims on performance of TMC government in West Bengal.
She claimed that 12,000 farmers committed suicide during Modi rule in the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, 3 April went for each other's jugular in battleground West Bengal, with the prime minister castigating "speedbreaker Didi" for stalling the state's development and the TMC chief hitting back warning he will face a "voter strike".
Not the one who would take things lying down, the West Bengal chief minister mounted a blistering counteroffensive, mocking Modi's "56-inch chest" and claiming his government did nothing to save the lives of the CRPF jawans despite having "information" about the impending terror attack.
At both the rallies, Modi slammed opposition parties for seeking proof of the damage done by the Indian Air Force in Pakistan's Balakot where terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's training camps were targeted.
The prime minister also cautioned people against voting for the TMC which has "inherited the bomb and gun culture" from the Left.
He alleged that Banerjee put hurdles in the way of implementation of the Centre's welfare schemes like Ayushman Bharat Yojana, PM Kisan Samman Yojana and the Real Estate Regulatory Authority Act (RERA).
"Didi wants poverty to stay so her politics of poverty may flourish. I want to eradicate. But Didi, like the Congress and the Left, think if poverty is gone how will they run their politics," he said.
Hardly had Modi concluded his speech at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata when Banerjee took the microphone at a rally in north Bengal's Dinhata, calling the prime minister "expiry babu" (one whose time to go had come).
"I am not Modi, I don't tell lies," she declared, as she took on the prime minister over his "speedbreaker Didi" jibe.
Claiming that 12,000 farmers had ended their lives under Modi's prime ministership, she listed out various social welfare schemes undertaken by her government like 'Kanyashree' for girls, 'Yuvashree' for the young people.
Banerjee said West Bengal has been awarded by the Government of India for being the best state in implementing the 100-day minimum work guarantee scheme, the Centre's flagship rural employment programme.
"PM should not lie. You claim to have a 56-inch chest and you are telling lies," she said, and dared Modi to a public debate.
Published: 03 Apr 2019,02:52 PM IST