BJP bid to hit me & Abhishek: Mamata Banerjee after Suvendu's 'blast' remark
Times of India | 22 April 2024
KOLKATA/BALURGHAT: Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee accused BJP on Sunday of conspiring to harm her and Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, latching on to MLA Suvendu Adhikari's remark the previous day about an impending "huge explosion" that would shatter "pishi-bhaipo's (aunt-nephew) party".
"Abhishek and I are targets. They can even take our lives.They are very dangerous," Mamata declared at an election rally in Balurghat's Kumarganj, referring to "those who are planning to drop bombs". The CM dared BJP to trigger the "bomb" that Adhikari said could explode on Trinamool. "If you try to hurl a bomb, I also have kali patkas (firecrackers) up my sleeves," she said. "What concerns us is the security of the common people. This kind of cunningness and conspiracies like Pulwama will be smashed."
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Alluding to Adhikari, who went from being her trusted aide to nemesis in Nandigram during the last assembly election, said a "gaddar (turncoat)" joined BJP to save himself and his family after enjoying the "advantages" of being in Trinamool for years.
The CM also accused central forces of canvassing for BJP. "I have with me a police complaint in which a villager, Aftabuddin Mia, says he and others were toiling in the fields when a BSF team arrived on the morning of April 19 (Phase 1 of the elections) and asked them to vote for BJP. When they protested, they were assaulted. What is this nuisance?"
Mamata urged EC to "please open your eyes and take immediate action".
The CM also accused CPM and Congress, both part of the INDIA bloc, of working on BJP's behalf. "We have reports of CPM workers visiting homes in Jalpaiguri, asking voters not to vote for the Forward Bloc candidate. Instead, CPM asked them to vote for BJP," she said.