BJP left red-faced after UNESCO honour to Durga Puja: Mamata

KOLKATA: Claiming that the BJP leaders — who had earlier spread lies alleging that Durga Puja was not allowed in Bengal under Trinamool Congress (TMC) government — should hang their heads in shame, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said, adding that UNESCO's heritage tag to the festival has left the faces of saffron leaders 'blackened with tar.'

She launched the scathing attack on BJP leaders while addressing a political rally at Bagha Jatin on Thursday afternoon. TMC leaders Firhad Hakim, Bappaditya Dasgupta, Gopal Roy and Tarakeshwar Chakraborty were present at the meeting.

"I am very happy that Durga Puja has got global recognition. This is just the beginning. In future, Bengal will get many such laurels," she said. Coming down heavily on BJP for spreading countrywide lies that the state government does not allow Durga Puja to take place in Bengal, she said: "The BJP leaders should hang their heads in shame for telling such blatant lies and misleading people. Such an attitude of the leaders should be condemned by all."

She urged people to vote for TMC candidates to "make Bengal, Biswa Bangla (number 1 in the world)," and added: "This is not impossible. Our hard work can make this possible."

Banerjee said the Students' Credit Card would open the international academic arena before Bengal's talents. "We will tag our universities with the well-known universities in Europe and the United States to benefit the students," she added.

Recalling her youth, she said: "I lost my father at an early age and had to look after my family. In our times, such facilities were not available for students. If they can use the facilities, they will reach the top someday."

Criticising the Centre's inordinate delay in completing the Metro projects, she said in the next two years these projects would be completed and would make travelling from one corner to the other easier.

She maintained that several flyovers would come up in the next couple of years. Some of these will connect Taratala to Jadavpur via Tollygunge Phari and Garia to Jadavpur and Majerhat to Tollygunge, among others.

Banerjee said in future more than 200 pumping stations would be set up to clear the accumulated water. Dredging would be done at Adi Ganga and Tolly's Nullah, she added.

About civic amenities, she said when she was the MP from Jadavpur, she took special interest to set up pay-and-use toilets. Over the years, ninety 'Patha Sathis' have been set up where people can take rest in rooms while travelling on highways.

Calling KMC the best civic body in the country, she said: "Over the years, all-round development has taken place in Kolkata and in future more schemes will be taken up to make it one of the finest cities in the world.

From Bagha Jatin, she went to Behala and addressed another rally. Partha Chatterjee, Mala Roy and Ratna Chatterjee were present at the meeting.