'BJP should be rechristened Bharat Jalao Party': Mamata Banerjee at public rally

Addressing a public rally in Hooghly's Pursura months ahead of state legislative assembly election, the chief minister said she was insulted and had to face taunts in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Victoria Memorial event on Saturday.

Days after being 'insulted' by the supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at an event organised on the occasion of Netaji SB's birth anniversary in Kolkata, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that the BJP should be rechristened 'Bharat Jalao Party'.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee she was insulted and had to face taunts in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Victoria Memorial event on Saturday.

Addressing a public rally in Hooghly's Pursura months ahead of state legislative assembly election, the chief minister said she was insulted and had to face taunts in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Victoria Memorial event on Saturday. She had refused to speak at the event after she was interrupted with chants of 'Jai Shri Ram'.

"Would you invite anyone to your house and then insult the person? Is this the culture of Bengal or our country? I would have had no problem if slogans hailing Netaji were raised. But they didn't do that. To taunt me, they shouted slogans which had no relation to the programme. I was insulted in front of the prime minister of the country. This is their (BJP) culture," the Trinamool Congress boss said.

Targeting potential defectors, the CM said that those planning to leave the TMC should do it as soon as possible as the party didn't need them.

"Those who are lining up to leave the Trinamool Congress should leave as early as possible. Bengal and TMC don't need you. The party would not have given them a ticket anyway, so they are leaving in fear," Banerjee said.

TMC heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari and MP Sunil Kumar Mandal were among the several party legislators who defected to the BJP earlier last month.