Combative Mamata hits out at BJP's 'vendetta politics'

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday called upon regional parties to unite to take on the BJP which, she alleged, has unleashed "vendetta politics" against those opposed to it and wanted to take the country to a "dangerous path."

"What is going on in the country in the name of politics is not politics. The situation demands all regional parties to unite," Banerjee told party workers at a meeting here shortly after being re-elected as chairperson of Trinamool Congress for six years.

"I do not want anything. I want you all (regional parties) to progress, I am there for your support. I am giving this message to all parties. Be together, be united, my party will stand by all of you," she said.

"BJP has resorted to vendetta politics. They are out to break the federal structure of the country. BJP is against our party because we talk about the people.

"They want to finish us by unleashing an agency (CBI) against our leaders but they themselves will be finished. TMC will strike back," she said asking party not to get scared.

Banerjee said: "We respect CBI as an institution but it is not that CBI we know.

These days CBI is like a mouse which has been domesticated".

With an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha election, she said, "Whatever the conspiracy is, you have to go to the grassroots level and meet our workers. Take the challenge for two years.We will fight taking along everyone."

Hitting out at CPIM, she said they were now supporting BJP and party workers should take up this matter seriously. "Ram and Bam (Left) are two sides of the same coin," she remarked. Holding CPIM responsible for ruining Bengal she said: " For 34 years they have not done anything and now they are ganging up with BJP to stall development."

She said there was a tacit understanding between BJP, Congress and CPIM and this explained why none of the CPIM leaders who had allowed chit fund companies to prosper in Bengal got arrested.

Giving a clean chit to party leaders against whom FIR had been filed in the Narada sting operation case, she said: "They are all innocent."

Banerjee said that there was no proof against them.

She said that TMC parliamentary party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay was arrested by CBI because he had spoken against demonetisation.

"He is kept in jail for four months. There is no law in the country," she said.

"One party has spoilt the politics in the country. They are spending crores of rupees. Where is this money coming from," she said.

Banerjee asked her party men to remain alert as cadres of the RSS, BJP and Bajrang Dal were trying to enter the state from outside.

She also alleged that people were paid to open fake Facebook accounts using her name and photographs as well as spread rumours to instigate violence.

She also attacked the BJP on the issue of Hindutva saying, "They are out to unleash communal riots. We will not tolerate this. There is a limit to everything".