“Let us not debate whether Siraj-ud-Daulah was good or not. Has Modi babu forgotten the history by fielding a member of the family whose ancestors had stood by Lord Clive to put an end to the freedom struggle of Bengal? The Rajas and Raj Matas should remain in their palaces and serve the people. Let’s not take refuge in lies to serve the people. The people will not forgive these people as they will never forget their history,” said the West Bengal chief minister.

Addressing her first election rally at Krishnanagar in Nadia district, Banerjee also stood by her party’s candidate, Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha last year over cash-for-query allegations.

“Have you seen how Mahua Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha? She was removed because she used to speak loudly against the BJP? Their intention is to defeat her but don’t let them succeed. Give all your votes to her and elect her again,” she said.

Moitra’s home and office were raided by the CBI over a week ago and she was summoned for interrogation in Delhi but she ignored the summons. In 2019, she won the Lok Sabha polls from Krishnanagar by a margin of over 60,000 votes.

Banerjee also criticised the prime minister’s telephonic conversations with BJP candidates. “There is no secrecy. You have been calling them (candidates) and releasing the audio recordings of the telephonic conversation in public. It is a breach of secrecy. They have become Pegasus. One of them (BJP Basirhat candidate Rekha Patra) avails of benefits of Swasthya Sathi and Lakshmir Bhandar. The ancestors of the other candidate, whom you people call Raj Mata, had sided with Lord Clive. We do not support Mir Jafars,” she said.

Amrita Roy comes from the family of 18th-century king Raja Krishna Chandra Roy, known as a social reformer in Nadia district.

Krishnanagar will go to the polls on May 13 in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.