E-Paper
Mamata Banerjee only leader fighting BJP: Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP and the ECI of introducing special rules only for West Bengal
Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said chief minister Mamata Banerjee is the only leader fighting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while accusing it and the Election Commission of India (ECI) of introducing special rules only for West Bengal.
“...if there is anyone in this nation who is fighting the BJP, it is the chief minister of this state [West Bengal]. This is how the BJP should be opposed,” Yadav said after meeting Banerjee.
Yadav said it is apparent that the ECI and BJP are introducing the National Register of Citizens in the name of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in West Bengal. “They are deleting names of voters instead of ensuring that more and more people exercise their democratic rights,” said Yadav, who was on a private visit to Kolkata.
He hoped the secular forces would fight the Bengal election together. “I am sure secular forces, who are the identity of our nation, will fight together. The BJP has forgotten that this state is a different place under Didi [Banerjee]’s leadership. People here believe in love, not hatred,” he said. “They are harassing Didi but she is going to become the chief minister again. BJP will lose the election....”
Yadav said they are talking of votes being stolen, but Banerjee stopped the dacoity of data. “I hail Didi’s courage. It is well known that ED [Enforcement Directorate], CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation], income tax [department], work with the BJP,” Yadav said, referring to Banerjee’s move of taking some documents and a laptop during an ED raid on Trinamool Congress’s election strategist on January 8.
