West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that while the Congress and the Trinamool Congress will contest against each other in the state, they will fight together at the national level against the BJP.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that while the Congress and the Trinamool Congress will contest against each other in the state, they will fight together at the national level against the BJP.
The statement comes hours after Banerjee, upset with Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's attack on her over the Saradha chit fund case in the Lok Sabha, registered her displeasure with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Parliament.
Sources said Gandhi, while trying to placate her, said, "We are accusing each other but we are friends," to which the TMC chief responded: "I will remember.""Any fight with the Congress will remain in the state. At the national level, we will fight together, this I am saying from the heart... For the greater interest of the country, I am ready to sacrifice my life, my party. I am ready to sacrifice everything," she said at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) protest at Jantar Mantar which was attended by several opposition leaders.
Congress member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury during a debate in Lok Sabha said the Trinamool Congress, which is in power in West Bengal, looted the people of the state.He also said that lakhs of people were looted and that their money should be returned.CPI-M member Mohammed Salim alleged that TMC has come up due to corruption and even remarked that some members of the party in the House should go to jail.
On both occasions, members from the BJP, which is engaged in a political slugfest with the TMC over Saradha scam and other issues, were seen thumping their desks.Later, TMC members were seen shouting slogans against Salim.Some members of the TMC are under the lens for their alleged role in chit fund scams.
TMC leader Saugata Roy said chief minister Mamata Banerjee took the trouble of getting arrested the main person in Saradha scam and wanted to know from the central government as what they were doing in the last five years with respect to the scam.
1. Mamata promises clean sweep in Bengal, takes dig at Congress
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Banerjee, who is in Delhi till Thursday, also met RJD's Misa Bharti, Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Satish Mishra, SP's Jaya Bachchan and Dimple Yadav in her room in Parliament in the morning.
Addressing the protest, Banerjee appealed to all opposition parties to play to their strengths and not cut into each others' votes. She also asked them to ensure that they get all the seats in the states they are strong in.
"Whichever party is strong should work there, fight there against the BJP, in Delhi, it's AAP, in UP, it is BSP, SP, in Kashmir, there is Farooq Abdullah...For higher good, some sacrifices are needed...If we want, we can fight in many more seats, but we never do this for the higher good," she said.
In an apparent dig at the Congress whose state unit is fighting tooth and nail against the TMC, Banerjee said while the Rahul Gandhi-led party is strong in the three heartland states, they should not cut into her party's votes in West Bengal.
"We tell the Congress, if you are strong in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, you should fight there. But where we are strong, don't let the BJP win. I am used to fighting the BJP, CPM and the Congress because in Bengal, these three parties fight together. Even if we make an understanding, they don't transfer votes. I am used to this. I am not scared. How much ever they fight, I will get 42 out of 42," she asserted.
2. What did Adhir Chowdhury say?
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Chit fund scams in West Bengal echoed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, with Left and Congress members accusing the Trinamool Congress of looting money of investors.Members from the Trinamool Congress, which is in power in West Bengal, were protesting in the Well when the discussion on 'The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018' was taken up.
Participating in the discussion, Congress member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the Trinamool Congress, which is in power in West Bengal, looted the people of the state.He also said that lakhs of people were looted and that their money should be returned.CPI-M member Mohammed Salim alleged that TMC has come up due to corruption and even remarked that some members of the party in the House should go to jail.
On both occasions, members from the BJP, which is engaged in a political slugfest with the TMC over Saradha scam and other issues, were seen thumping their desks.Later, TMC members were seen shouting slogans against Salim.Some members of the TMC are under the lens for their alleged role in chit fund scams.
TMC leader Saugata Roy said chief minister Mamata Banerjee took the trouble of getting arrested the main person in Saradha scam and wanted to know from the central government as what they were doing in the last five years with respect to the scam.
BJD leader B Mahtab said there should be a regulatory mechanism for the state and central governments to work against illegal deposit-taking activities.
While replying to the discussion, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal wondered what message would the school children sitting here take back amid continued sloganshouting by TMC members in the Well.School children were among those sitting in the visitor's gallery.
3. Mamata attacks Centre during opposition rally
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The TMC chief also attacked the Centre over the CBI's failed bid to question Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar at his home, saying she has never seen a government that "stooped so low".
"It is the prime minister's last day as elected leader in Parliament today," she said after the Lok Sabha adjourned sine die.
"Everyone is afraid of Gabbar Singh. There are two of them -- (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (BJP chief Amit) Shah," she claimed.
She said that the PM's speech in Parliament was "his last" in the House as a people's representative and that his government has reached its "expiry date".
Calling out the government for erecting statues and spending money on building its party office, Banerjee said that they did not respect the great leaders of the country and remembered them only during elections.
"They remember these people only during elections. They only want to make statues," she said.
Asserting that regional parties are not weak, she appealed to all these parties to mobilise their workers so that the anti-BJP front gets stronger.
"Regional parties are not weak, my party, Sharad Yadav's party, Farooq Abdullah's party and the others are all recognised parties. It's just that the BJP has a lot of money. How much money is spent on one meeting of Modi? They give bike , cars, thousands of rupees...They have made a party office in Delhi which is no less than a shopping mall," Banerjee said.
She alleged that ministers of this government had called her to stop her from talking against the PM which she rebuffed.
"Can't I even talk ?...Send the CBI to my house, let me now and I will make lunch for them, whatever they want, be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian...
"I am not scared. Shrouds wait for me, I don't wait for shrouds ( kafan humara intezar karta hai, hum kafan ke liye nahi ). This is my fight," she said.
Stating that the situation in India was more dangerous than the days during the emergency, Banerjee said democracy has become ' Namocracy '.
"It is easy to see dreams but you should know how to dream. Modiji, you don't know how to dream, you know how to break the country. I know how to join the country...We will all fight together," she said.
A host of opposition leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, National Conference's Farooq Abdullah, Nationalist Congress Party's Sharad Pawar and CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury also spoke during the rally.
4. Left refuses to share dias with Mamata
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Senior opposition leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, took part in a mega rally organised by the Aam Aadmi Party here on Wednesday against the "dictatorial" attitude of the central government.
Speaking at the rally, CPI leader D Raja said the Constitution is under attack under Narendra Modi as prime minister and asserted that Parliament has been undermined and bypassed and its role has been minimized under Modi.
"Can you allow a Germany-like situation where Hitler overpowered Reichstag(German parliament)," he said.
"BJP in power is a threat to constitution and democracy. It must be defeated," he added.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also present at the rally.
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury alleged that BJP is professing politics of 'Dushashan' by pitting brothers against brothers.
"There is need to replace this government for a better India. This chowkidar needs to be removed to save the country.
"BJP is like Kaurava Sena but the Pandavas (Opposition) will defeat them and save the country," he said.
Interestingly, minutes before Mamata Banerjee arrived, the two left leaders moved away from the stage.
