The last day of the high-octane campaigning for the first phase of the Assembly polls in West Bengal ended with the BJP's response to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's charge that the saffron party will ban fish if voted to power.
Banerjee had earlier claimed that the BJP, if voted to power in the state, would “stop the consumption of fish and eggs.” In what seemed to be reply to Mamata, BJP MP Anurag Thakur and other party leaders were seen eating fish curry and rice in Kolkata.
“We are eating meat, fish and rice,” Thakur told reporters. He stated that the BJP has its government in 16 states, and the NDA in 20 states. “There is no restriction anywhere on anyone's language, food and worship,” the BJP MP said. Thakur further accused the West Bengal chief minister of “spreading fear and rumours.”
“Mamata Banerjee has no achievements to show for the last 15 years. This is why she is spreading fear and rumours. She was unable to stop infiltration and corruption, wasn't able to provide employment or secure women, and now she is spreading lies,” the BJP MP said. He further added, “4 May aaegi, TMC jaegi.”
Bengal's ‘fish’ politics: TMC's pitch vs BJP's clarification
{{/usCountry}}“Mamata Banerjee has no achievements to show for the last 15 years. This is why she is spreading fear and rumours. She was unable to stop infiltration and corruption, wasn't able to provide employment or secure women, and now she is spreading lies,” the BJP MP said. He further added, “4 May aaegi, TMC jaegi.”
Bengal's ‘fish’ politics: TMC's pitch vs BJP's clarification
{{/usCountry}}After Mamata's charge against the BJP, the party has attempted to clarify their stance on the issue of fish and meat several times during their election campaigning.
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BJP's state unit and senior leadership have all provided proofs, with a video of BJP candidate Sharadwat Mukhopadhyay campaigning with a fish dangling from his hand going viral. When asked about this, BJP state unit chief Samik Bhattacharya said the aim of that campaign was to “counter the TMC”. “Most people in (West) Bengal eat non-vegetarian food, and even BJP leadership consumes non-vegetarian food,” Bhattacharya said.
Union home minister Amit Shah too spelled out his party's stance, saying the TMC was “spreading rumours” and that “consumption of fish, eggs will not be stopped” if the BJP is elected to power in West Bengal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at a public rally in Haldia, also made a pitch promising to make the state sufficient in fisheries and the seafood sector. PM Modi said the TMC-led government had failed to match fish production with its high demand in the state.
TMC chief Mamata had, at a rally in North 24 Parganas district, responded to PM Modi's pitch. “I heard that today, he (PM) said that there is no fish production in Bengal, while Bihar is producing more and exporting. But you do not allow people to eat fish in Bihar. Here we purchase fish from markets and eat,” the TMC supremo said.