Mamata Banerjee calls upon people to boycott BJP

Malda (WB): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday called upon the people to boycott the BJP, alleging it practised "communal and vendetta" politics.

"We also worship Rama but not the Rama of the BJP, which kills people in the name of religion. But this politics cannot last long. You will not be there after 2019 (Lok Sabha polls)," she told a public meeting in Malda.

The people should be cautious about the tricks of the BJP, she said, adding Hindu religion does not teach to hate others, instead it teaches to love and respect all.

"The BJP is a blot in the name of Hindu religion. They are not Hindu. They defame Hinduism. You should boycott the BJP. Don't trust the BJP," Banerjee said.

She also slammed the saffron party for its "abusive language" against her.

"A few days back a BJP leader had called me eunuch. Had he uttered such a word against any other state's chief minister, there would have been a huge uproar," she said.

In an obvious reference to BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvergiya, she said, "A few BJP leaders from outside, who neither have an idea of the state nor its culture, are trying to spread violence and disrupt the communal harmony in Bengal."

Referring to Vijayvergiya's recent comment that TMC leaders would be arrested soon by CBI, she said, "I want to know how is he aware of what going to happen? Is he director of CBI or has the Prime Minister himself told him about the arrests?"

Banerjee cautioned that if a TMC leader was arrested, the people of Bengal would send one lakh BJP workers to jail.

"Don't forget that we also have several cases against them. But we don't believe in vendetta politics," she said.

Banerjee alleged that the BJP was trying to use CBI and ED against TMC as it had spoken against demonetisation.

"They are trying to scare off everybody. As we have protested against demonetisation, they are threatening me with CBI and ED.

"They can arrest all of my party leaders including me. They can kill all of us. But that won't deter us from speaking against them," she said, in an obvious reference to the CBI filing cases against 12 TMC leaders and ministers in Narada sting operation.

Coming out in defence of some of the TMC leaders, whose name have figured in Narada sting operation case, she said, "TMC leaders whom you (BJP) are targeting come from well-off families and they don't need to take money."