Kolkata: Sharpening her attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday blamed him for failing to understand “family values.” She wondered how he would realise “family values” when he “does not have any”.
Ms Banerjee also questioned whether Mr Modi ever had taken care of his family and wife.
Addressing a rally at Rasmela Ground in Cooch Behar where Mr Modi tore into her a day before, the West Bengal chief minister claimed that he should express her gratitude to her for allowing the BJP to organise his rally at the same venue. “How would you know family values? There are two types of families. One is your own family. Another is of the mass, the nation. But you have none of them,” she alleged.
Taking a dig at the PM, Ms Banerjee asked, “Did you ever look after your family? Leave alone someone else, at least your wife? So how can you know the life of mother, daughters and sisters at home? You have nothing. These people who do not follow the family, family life and country are now playing politics. They are showing off their patriotism.” She also lashed out the BJP-RSS combine over the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
Continuing her volley of questions, the Trinamul chief added, “Who killed Mahatma Gandhi? Will they flaunt patriotism today? Who did not honour Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose? Will those who never participated in our country’s freedom struggle suit preaching of patriotism?”
On Sunday, Mr Modi had taken potshots at Ms Banerjee referring to a dais her party built for her rally adjoining the venue of his rally.
He told the crowd, “The memorial of Didi’s defeat stands here. This is the live memorial of her destruction. The dais has been built here so that little space is left for you. Can an election be won through such childish acts? Sometimes when kids fight among themselves in their area, they tell others: ‘I will see you when you pass through my area.’ The drama Didi and her Ghulam have done here is a clear testimony of democracy’s reprimand.”
Countering the PM’s mockery, Ms Banerjee complained, “He is asking for an explanation from me instead of giving an explanation by himself about what he has done in the last five years. He is an audacious, autocratic, fascist and Hitler-type PM. Can you match even one per cent of development works I have done so far? This place was booked for us. My office booked it for my rally on March 31.”
She added, “The dates of seven, eight and nine were booked for decorations.
But you submitted a letter for booking much later. Had there been anyone else, you would not have been allowed for the rally. Our party workers did not want to allow your rally at our venue because the pandal was set up. Still, I asked them to give it to you after advising them to cover our dais. Instead of expressing gratitude, he called it the dais of destruction.”
