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‘I am from Brahmin family but…’: Mamata’s sharp counterattack at BJP in Goa
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee defended her party’s decision to enter the political space in Goa and trashed insinuations that her party was in Goa to split anti-BJP votes.
PANAJI: Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday vowed to take her fight to the BJP, accusing them of propagating a culture of bullying and hate, contrasting it with her party that she promises Goa “a new dawn”.
Addressing multiple events during her packed schedule - she said it was the first of her many visits to the state in the future - the West Bengal chief minister said she was determined to fight what she called “the poison of communalism”.
Referring to the events in Tripura where anti-Muslim violence was witnessed earlier this week, Mamata said: “Wherever the BJP government is there, they are not allowing people to go out, they are not allowing people to be in a peaceful manner... It is not only Tripura. Under the Assam BJP government, the same thing you will see, you come to Goa they will deface you, they will show you the black flags,” Banerjee said.
“If I come to Goa they deface my posters. Go ahead and deface. One day you will be defaced from India then you will know. What they are doing we will not take revenge like this. We will work for the people,” Banerjee said.
Many billboards, posters and banners put up by the TMC were defaced or ripped out allegedly by persons sympathetic to the local BJP ahead of Mamta’s visit. At the airport, a group of around two dozen people shouted slogans and waved black flags as her convoy passed by.
“We don’t divide the people like Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Isai (Christian) we unite the people. That is our motto. I may die but I will not divide the country. I am proud to say every drop of my blood is for unity. I don’t divide. Sometimes BJP says: ‘She’s anti-Hindu.’ I am Hindu. Will you give me [a] character certificate? That I am Hindu or that I am Muslim? Who are you to give the character certificate? First you decide your character certificate, then for others. I’m also from a Brahmin family but I didn’t say all these things,” she added.
Mamata Banerjee also defended her party’s decision to enter the political space in Goa and rubbished claims that she was in Goa to split anti-BJP votes.
“When other parties came here, did you ask them whether they were here to split the votes? Should only Delhi parties be allowed to come here?” Banerjee asked, an apparent reference to the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which is taking its second shot at attempting to enter Goa’s political space.
“You can trust that Dilli ka dadagiri nahi chalega (The bullying from Delhi will not be tolerated). Dadagiri amkam naka (We don’t want bullying),” she said.
“Some are asking ‘I’m in Bengal, how can I go to Goa?’ I’m Indian, I can go anywhere. I came here because my brothers and sisters want it. We are a national party. If we go anywhere, you (BJP) will deface us, you will show us the black flag, you will not give us the permission, why? Because they know that TMC will die but they will never compromise. That is the thing they are afraid of,” she said.
“We have also decided that we will work for Goa in a strong manner. It is not that we want to divide the vote. You have got so many opportunities for political parties, give one opportunity for other political parties. Give one opportunity to AITC. It is also a national party and simply we say TMC -- Temple, Mosque Church, that is our motto,” she added.
Banerjee sidestepped questions on her party’s plans to enter into an alliance with regional or like-minded political parties, saying that it was too early to make a decision or to announce her party’s presumptive chief minister.
“I cannot discuss details in this meeting because it depends on the situation and everything, local leaders, we have to discuss everything, it’s a collective decision. It is not an individual decision so I cannot tell you right now. If anybody is interested to work with us, we will be happy,” she said.
Earlier in the day, Banerjee welcomed into the party former professional tennis player Leander Paes as well as actress and politician Nafisa Ali who back in 2004 had contested against her on a Congress ticket in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls.
“I was born in Bengal, but at the end of the day, I am a very patriotic Indian. For me, whether it is in Bengal or whether it is in Goa, or whether it is playing at Wimbledon. For me it is about making India proud and in that, now living in Goa I would like to make a difference in my roots,” Paes said after being formally inducted in the party.
“The only leader today that can take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah’s brand of politics is Mamata Banerjee… The BJP needs to be addressed in all sincerity and Mamata has proved that she and she alone can become the tigress that can take on the likes of Narendra Modi,” Nafisa Ali said soon after she was inducted into the party at her home.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said he was not worried by the increasing number of parties setting up shop in Goa.
“In 2017 too, many parties both from within Goa and those from outside set up shop in Goa. After the election, they went away and now it is election season once again they are back. I believe that besides the BJP and Congress -- BJP will be in ruling and Congress will be in opposition -- other parties won’t have an impact. Finally, it depends on the voters,” he said.
