Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused the BJP of pursuing "politics of killing" in West Bengal "in connivance with former CPI(M) goons" and vowed not to allow NRC in her state.
At a rally held in Kolkata on the occasion of foundation day of her party Trinamool Congress' students wing, Banerjee alleged that under the Modi government the country was facing "more than Emergency as the people don't even have the right to speak" and exhorted the youths "to raise the slogan of ousting the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha election".
"We will not allow NRC exercise in Bengal. We are Bengal tigers, we will not tolerate if an Indian citizen is dubbed a foreigner," she asserted.
The BJP hit back, saying that Banerjee should stop "dreaming" of becoming the next prime minister and instead concentrate on maintaining law and order in the state.
The TMC supremo, who is in the forefront of the campaign to rally opposition parties for an anti-BJP front, accused the Centre of using central agencies against opposition parties in the country and said she will fight tooth and nail to defeat the saffron party in the 2019 general elections.
"They (BJP) are disturbing Mayawati, Akhilesh, Stalin, Lalu Prasad, Congress. Otherwise, how will they remain in power ... They are also trying to stop us (TMC) since we raise our voice from Bengal", Banerjee said at the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad rally.
"They (BJP leaders) are challenging us. If we are challenged, we will give them a fitting reply," she said.
Downplaying the BJP's improved poll performance in the state, Banerjee said it "had won just a few seats in the panchayat election in the erstwhile Maoist hotbed of Jangalmahal by resorting to politics of killing. The former CPI(M) goons are now working for them."
One TMC worker was killed in Jhargram in Jangalmahal area and his body was recovered today, she said and alleged that central paramilatary forces were used by the BJP during the last panchayat polls to put pressure on people to vote in its favour.
Reacting to the Trinamool chief's statements, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh charged the TMC with unleashing terror against his party workers and alleged that its government was misusing the police and administration.
"The TMC is trying to wipe out every sign of opposition in Bengal. Our workers are being killed everyday. But we will continue our democratic fight till we end the misrule of the TMC government," he said.
Earlier, Banerjee said the BJP speaks against Emergency but "under the Modi government the people do not have the right to speak. They do not have the freedom what to eat and what to wear. It is more than Emergency".
"From now on we should raise the slogan of ousting the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha election", she said .
Referring to the increase in non-performing assets (NPAs) during the NDA rule at the Centre, Banerjee claimed it was much higher than what it was under the UPA regime.
Continuing her tirade against the BJP, she said, "We don't want foreign funds, but why is the BJP so interested in foreign funds?"
The Lok Sabha had passed a Bill to exempt political parties from scrutiny on foreign funds.
She urged students to keep a close watch on fake news being circulated on facebook and twitter by the "troll army of the BJP".
"Keep a close watch on fake news that BJP circulates on facebook and twitter. If they spread a fake news, counter it. Don't let them get away with fake news," she said.
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