‘I don’t name stadium after me’, Mamata takes subtle jibe at Modi

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday took a subtle jibe at Narendra Modi without naming him by referring to a cricket stadium in Ahmedabad named after the Prime Minister.

“I don’t name a stadium after me. I don’t name railway lines after me. I don’t need any self-publicity. It is enough to live as an ideal human being,” the Chief Minister said at a party programme here on Monday.

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahemdabad, also known as the Motera Stadium, is the largest cricket stadium in the world with a seating capacity of 132,000 spectators.

Banerjee also launched a scathing attack against the Union government over pending central dues under various centrally-sponsored schemes.

“They have withheld payments for the 100-day job scheme under MGNREGA. Those who worked under this scheme could not be paid. An amount of Rs 7,000 crore under this head is still pending from the Union government,” Banerjee said.

The Chief Minister also said that she does not even accept pension being an erstwhile Lok Sabha member for a long time.

“I have been in politics for a long time. I had been an MP for so many consecutive terms. Had I wished, I could have received a hefty sum as pension. But I did not accept that. As a Chief Minister, I don’t draw any salary. Still we are called thieves,” the Chief Minister said.

She ended her speech with an appeal for mass support for her movement against the Union government on various issues in the coming days.