Even BJP-Cong-CPM together won’t be able to defeat TMC, says Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: Emboldened by her party’s sweeping victory in the bypolls in the state, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday dared the Opposition in the Assembly asserting that even a combine of BJP-Congress-CPI(M) would not be able defeat the Trinamul Congress. She bantered that the Congress cannot function in New Delhi without her party.

“Even if the BJP, Congress and CPI(M) come together, they will never succeed to beat us. They can not remain silent although you were defeated only a day before. They must not dishonour the people’s verdict. The Congress can not move without us in Delhi. The state Congress leaders can verify it with their central leaders for their understanding. They are pygmies here,” she said on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address.

Referring to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s congratulation to her on Thursday over the Trinamul Congress’ victory in the by-polls the chief minister added, “I also congratulated her for the Congress’ victory in the bypolls in Rajasthan.” She however alleged, “CPI(M) is the friend of the Congress. In Bengal they are the same. It is eternal to us that they do not have any difference. They are made for each other.”

The Trinamul supremo slammed the opposition MLAs after she faced their objection to her speech.

Ms Banerjee, however, remineded them that it was the Assembly Speaker’s prerogative to allot time to her for her speech.

In protest the Congress and CPI(M) MLAs staged walk-out. Targeting the Opposition she said, “We have have seen what they did in 2016. They make misleading statements in the House. They are scared of me. That is why they can not face the Assembly. The controversy over the governor’s address is unnecessary.”

Training guns on the CPI(M) MLAs Ms Banerjee asked them, “The young women under ASHA scheme used to a montly salary of `800 from the central government. Those who were playing the role of brokers... what were they doing to increase their salary when you were in power? Why did not you make their job permanent? Why did not you increase their salary?”

She argued that her government employed them at a monthly salary of Rs 1,500 in view of their plight after the Centre stopped the project.

Accusing the Centre of doing politics in the compilation of crime statistics by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) Ms Banerjee complained, “A propaganda has been underway that our state ranks top in women-trafficking. The Centre is now indulging in politics very much.”

Ms Banerjee claimed, “We were not asked while publishing the NCRB data. We were not consulted even. It was a political report which was made to tarnish the image of Bengal. Why am I saying this in the House? For, as soon as the report reached us, our state director general of police Surajit Kar Purkayastha wrote a letter to DG (NCRB) Ish Kumar on December 19. He told him that the NCRB data was not correct.”

She added, “According to our data system, the figure was 948 which the NCRB put at 3579 which is however not actual. Protesting it we officially asked them to issue a corrigendum. Please remember the figure has gone down to a large extent.”