Mamata Banerjee calls for Opposition unity

Puri(Odisha): West Bengal chief minister and Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday appeared quite aggressive in taking on the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre saying the latter was deliberately harassing her as the Trinamul Congress vehemently opposed its “destructive” ideology.

“The BJP leaders are fighting a battle against me and my party at personal level as my party is opposed to their destructive ideology. They should have fought me politically. They are harassing me in many ways. We’re ready to face them politically and legally, as well,” Ms Banerjee told reporters.

The Bengal CM’s caustic remark was seen as dig at the BJP that she believes misutilised the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to arrest a host of Trinamul leaders, including two of its MPs, in connection with the multi-crore chit fund scam.

The Trinamul Congress chief, who arrived in the state on Tuesday evening on a three-day visit, met two of her party MPs — Sudip Bandyopadhya and Tapas Paul — at Apollo Hospital in Bhubaneswar. Both the MPs, arrested by the CBI in chit fund scam, are undergoing treatment at the hospital for various health complications.

The Bengal chief minister accused the BJP of playing “divisive” politics and called upon regional parties to get united to fight it out.

“The BJP is playing divisive politics. It’s claiming itself championing the cause of the Hindus. But the way the BJP is presenting its Hinduism, it is in fact defaming the religion. We all love Hindus, but we do not deal the religion this way. The saffron party is brazenly indulging in creating differences between the Hindus and other minority communities, including the Muslims,” she alleged.

She also alleged that the BJP was also pitching one state against other.

“The BJP is pitching one state against the other for political mileage. However, people of India are judicious enough to understand its design and give it a befitting reply at opportune time,” she asserted.

Ms Banerjee said regional parties like the Trinamul Congress and Biju BJD must get united and plan how to check the growth of the BJP which she said was a “great threat” to the country’s peace and integrity.

She has sought an appointment from the CMO to meet Naveen Patnaik. “I will meet him tomorrow and leave for West Bengal thereafter,” she said.