In fitting with the pattern of portraying herself as being an independent opposition leader, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised both the Congress and BJP over various issues on Friday.
Banerjee criticised the Congress government in Karnataka for not bringing the murderers of Gauri Lankesh to justice.
She was responding to the Congress’ criticism of the state budget and the degrading law and order situation in the state. Banerjee declared, “The Congress is criticising us. But you have a government in Karnataka. The same party that has been unable to book the culprits who murdered Gauri Lankesh. Just shut up! Shame on you!”
Banerjee said the Congress would not survive without her.
“I am in touch with them. Congress high command congratulated me for my win in the byelection. They could not walk an inch without me. But state Congress would have to understand and have to stop criticising us.”
Banerjee asked the Congress not to join hands with CPI(M) to trouble her government, thinking of national compulsions.
The opposition party on Friday criticised the state government’s Rupashi Bangla project where it would give Rs 25,000 to poor families for the marriage of their daughters. The Congress termed the project as a waste of government resources.
“If I cannot give money to poor fathers to marry daughters off, who else will?” she asked.
Banerjee also lambasted the budget of Arun Jaitley and declared it did nothing for farmers. She predicted that BJP would have a big defeat in the 2019 election.
“Had they really wanted to do something, they would have waived off the loans of farmers. They did not do that,” said she.
She said she had asked her finance minister about the budget.
“And Amitda (Amit Mitra) told me it was a real bluff,” said she.
Interestingly, Banerjee said her finance minister would have been the finance minister in Delhi, though she did not mention of which formation—UPA or the present BJP-led government.
“Don’t underestimate Amitda. If I did not bring him to Kolkata, he would have been the finance minister,” said she.
Calling the BJP as a party for landlords, she said BJP is circulating money to win elections.
“In Bengal, they have come with big money. They might lure you away. Be cautious,” she said at a party youth meeting.
However, Banerjee made a faux pas when she said that BJP was born in 1984 instead of 1980.
“Abhishek (her nephew) told me that it was born in 1984. Such a new party talks about Hindu religion,” she said.
