Mamata greets Modi on birthday, BJP MP calls it gimmick

To celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 67th birthday on Sunday, state BJP leaders initiated a Swachh Bharat Abhiyan at Kalighat, in the backyard of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence.

At about 8.30 am, senior state BJP leaders including Kailash Vijayvargiya, party Rajya Sabha MP Roopa Ganguly, and Joy Banerjee gathered in Kalighat for the celebrations.

Interestingly, Mamata Banerjee also tweeted a birthday wish to PM Modi, sometime around midnight. 'Birthday wishes to @PMOIndia @narendramodi Ji', the tweet read. Roopa Ganguly said it was an attempt to create an impression of bonhomie between the PM and the CM. "She is very smart. With these tweets, for her own political benefit she is trying to rake up the theory of 'Modibhai and Didibhai' friendship, which was popular among people until recently," she said.

Talking about the condition in and around Kalighat temple, Vijayvargiya said people from across the country come to this place and it is in such a pitiable and squalid condition. "It is one of the most popular pilgrimage spot for Hindus. Though it comes under the Assembly constituency, the famed temple of Goddess Kali lies neglected. That is why we have chosen this place. There is no politics in this. We have done this to receive blessings on this auspicious occasion," Vijayvargiya said.

Ganguly also pointed out that civic bodies need to focus on cleaning up the temple and areas adjoining it. "People come here in thousands and it is natural that they will bring flowers. There should be a proper disposal system that will also be eco-friendly. Paper wraps and sal leaves should substitute plastic packets," she said.

She also pointed out at something amiss in the government's initiative at keeping the city clean. "Do you ever see the grills of government buildings, bridges and flyovers being washed? They are only given a fresh coat of paint after every two months. The paint is bought from one particular shop and the quality of the paint is such that it fades in two months. If investigated, we might have a scam waiting to be unearthed here," she said.