Kolkata: Deriding the Narendra Modi government for trying to paint opposition forces as “black”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday dared BJP to arrest all the leaders of TMC and said her party was not afraid of it.
The TMC supremo said that BJP would be defeated in the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Punjab as the people have not accepted the decision of demonetisation.
“Only you people (BJP) are white and rest of us are all black. Never before the people of this country had witnessed such a government,” Banerjee said while speaking on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address in the Assembly.
Taking strong exception to the recent comments by BJP leaders that after the UP elections most of TMC leaders will be in jail, Banerjee challenged the saffron party to arrest all the leaders of TMC.
“Recently I have read newspapers reports that all of our party leaders will be arrested in days to come. We are not afraid of such threats. If you want you can arrest all of us.
We don’t care. The situation is just like you are threatening a kid by saying keep shut or else Gabbar Singh will come,” Banerjee said.
She claimed that her government too has list of complaints against leaders of other political parties but it is the decency of TMC that they do not pursue political vendetta.
“You people are saying that you will tie our MPs with trees in New Delhi. But remember that you will not be in power for the entire life. Somebody else might come to power after your term gets over. It is our decency that we don’t take action against political leaders of other parties,” she said.
“The decision of demonetisation has not been accepted whole heartedly by the people. They have accepted it out of fear. The BJP will lose the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Punjab,” Banerjee said.
She said due to demonetisation, revenue of the state government has decreased by 25 per cent.
She said that black money hoarders have only benefited and people who have earned their money in honest and hard way are suffering due to demonetisation.
Banerjee also criticised the decision to introduce electoral bonds and said her party is in favour of electoral reforms and state funding of elections.
“What is this bond. Is it something of a kind of bonded labour? How would someone know whether this bond is black or white. We are in favour of electoral reforms and state funding of elections,” she said, adding that there would be an all party resolution in West Bengal Assembly demanding electoral reforms.
PTI