Addressing a Women’s Day rally in Kolkata, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday, 8 March, reproached Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being a conceited leader. She said, “He has colleges in his name, stadiums in his name, vaccine in his name. It's just a matter of time, he will soon rename India after his name,” news agency ANI quoted.
Banerjee criticised PM Modi for displaying his photo on the vaccine certificates, and said, “It’s not a COVID vaccine, it’s a Modi vaccine.”
This followed after Prime Minister Modi on Sunday, severely criticised the West Bengal CM at an election rally at Kolkata's Brigade Parade ground.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s remarks on the lack of women’s safety in Bengal, Banerjee cited media reports saying that Modi-Shah's 'model state' Gujarat had witnessed four rapes, two killings every day in the last two years, PTI reported.
“Had there been no safety, women in Bengal would not have been able to move around freely at night,” she added.
The CM referred to the upcoming elections as contest between her and the entirety of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and went on to say that “Amit Shah and Narendra Modi are two syndicate ministers who come to Bengal and lie. I respect the chair of a Prime Minister but it is surprising to see a Prime Minister lie,” ANI quoted.
The West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in eight phases, beginning from 27 March. The counting of votes will take place on 2 May.
The remarks exchanged between the PM and the West Bengal CM come after BJP poached several Trinamool leaders, with sustained attempts to unseat the two-time Chief Minister.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)