Yogi addresses West Bengal poll rally over phone, warns Mamata of her 'shameful' acts

Lucknow: After being denied permission to land a chopper in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday addressed a rally in Raiganj in Dinajpur district over the phone and warned Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of her government’s “shameful” activities.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister was scheduled to address two rallies in West Bengal today- in North Dinajpur district's Raiganj and in South Dinajpur district's Balurghat. However, the Mamata Banerjee-led government state government declined permission for both without any prior notice.

Addressing the Raiganj rally via phone from Lucknow, Adityanath said, “I wanted to be a part of this rally, however, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government stopped me through these activities, which are against the Constitution. Before this, BJP president Amit Shah was also stopped from entering the state. The TMC government is not only against the BJP but also against the democracy.”

He added, “The TMC government, under Mamata Banerjee’s leadership, has tried to suppress the spirit of West Bengal. During Navratra, Hindus are stopped from worshipping Goddess Durga. I want to warn Mamata Banerjee that the way in which democracy is being destroyed in the state, it is really shameful. I condemn this. She must accept that you don’t misuse administration in a democracy, the way it is being done in West Bengal.”

Later while talking to ANI, Adityanath said, “Mamata Banerjee has opposed BJP’s 'save democracy' movement from the beginning, Amit Shah was to go there to start this initiative, West Bengal government stopped it. I had rallies in Balurghat and Raiganj today, but they didn’t permit chopper landing.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday kick-started the BJP's campaign in West Bengal for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections with two rallies, in Thakurnagar and Durgapur.