Didi: Modi's Fall Has Begun With Delimitation Bill's Defeat
“It was never meant for women empowerment. It was a narrative on women that was played out": Ms Banerjee
KOLKATA/BERHAMPORE: A day after the Delimitation Bill failed to pass in the Lok Sabha, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee claimed with a renewed energy that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's fall has begun. She further predicted BJP's defeat not only in this Assembly Election here but also in the next LS polls.
The Trinamul Congress supremo, who campaigned for her party candidates at various assembly seats in Howrah and South 24 Parganas on Saturday, even alleged that Mr Modi’s evening address to the nation would be a “web of lies” after suffering a setback in the parliament on Friday.
Ms Banerjee said on the Delimitation Bill, “It was never meant for women empowerment. It was a narrative on women that was played out. They (BJP) dictate the media about what to air and what not to. In the name of the Women's Reservation Bill, they wanted to divide Bengal and the country to increase the number of LS seats to around 850 seats. I was asked to send 20 MPs. Still I sent 21.”
She elaborated, “Mr Modi’s fall started yesterday. In the coming days, we will dethrone the BJP. They targeted Bengal. Now, we have targeted Delhi. After winning Bengal, we will capture Delhi democratically. I earlier spoke about the start of their fall. It began yesterday. They have been severely humiliated. Now, the people of Bengal should serve them humiliation.”
The CM noted, “Then we will see how they stay in power. Remember, they don’t have a single majority. They are running the government with the support of others.” Referring to Mr Modi's speech, she quipped, “I heard he would address the nation after seeing that his fall has started. His speech is however a web of lies, a joomla.”
As BJP is warming up to put the blame on the Opposition in poll-bound states to cover up its failure in the House, Ms Banerjee pointed out, “We are always in favour of women. Delimitation bill was tabled in the guise of the Women’s Reservation Bill. We are not in favour of dividing Bengal and India. We have always fought for women's reservation. We don’t need a bill further to give women seats.”
She explained, “We already have 50% reservation for women in Panchayats and Municipalities here. We have a women representation of 37% and 46% in Rajya Sabha. Mr Modi should take lessons from us. They don’t have the right to insult women. From 1998, we have been fighting for this. I fought for the Women’s Reservation Bill earlier in the LS.”
Echoing Ms Banerjee, her MP nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who campaigned at Farakka and Lalbagh in Murshidabad, argued, “Yesterday, TMC showed that BJP cannot do anything even if it wishes. We didn't allow them to change the Constitution. Those who tried to break the nation forcibly in the name of Delimitation, fell flat in the parliament. BJP is no longer invincible.”
He added, “Now we will successfully tackle the onslaught of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who has unleashed atrocities here. His time will end soon.”
