CPI(M) has joined hands with BJP to ruin Bengal: Mamata

"Delhi theke elo Ram sange jutlo Congress, Bam (Ram has come from Delhi and were soon joined by Congress and the Left)," said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while addressing a rally at Birpara hinting at BJP whose chief Amit Shah on Thursday concluded his three-day Bengal visit.

Banerjee, in an assertive tone mentioned that CPI(M) and BJP are hand in glove to ruin Bengal and cautioned the gathered people against them.

Incidentally, the MLA from Birpara is from BJP. Known for her smart reactions, Banerjee quickly said: "I know that the MLA of this place is from BJP but I do not discriminate. I want development. But they believe in discrimination and want to divide society on the basis of religion, caste and creed," she said.

Targeting the CPI(M), talking about how the party had unleashed a reign of terror in Bengal for 34 years, Banerjee said that the party is now joining hands with the BJP. She said that the BJP has made a clandestine understanding with CPI(M), a party for whom the state government had to pay a loan burden of Rs 40,000 crore. She cautioned people against them saying: "You should be very vigilant and not allow those who create riots to come to Bengal."

Comparing the BJP and the CPI(M) as the obverse and reverse of the same coin, Banerjee said that the parties are the same in several fronts. "Both believe in violence and both have no work to do except making tall statements on television channels. We work the whole day and so have no time to talk nonsense," she said adding: "They are not talking about development and only talking about their version of religion which propagates violence."

Without naming the BJP president Amit Shah who concluded his visit to Bengal on Thursday by visiting a slum in South Kolkata on Wednesday and having breakfast there she said: "They paid money for the breakfast. Every time they talk about the economically challenged people, they brand them as poor which is an insult to them. This is not Bengal's culture," she said.

She alleged that the BJP is trying to incite a riot in Bengal and urged people to keep their eyes and ears open. She also reiterated that the state government will never allow a Ram Navami procession with swords.

"We are born in an environment of religious tolerance and acceptance. Now we have to learn from them about Hindutva? Hinduism speaks about universal brotherhood and universal cooperation. But they are dividing Hindus and Muslims and Sikhs because they believe in creating a dicide," she said.

She said there were people who earlier used to organise Kirtans. But now changes are visible. "Within a few days where Kirtans were organised regularly, Hanuman temples are being constructed and incidents of dacoities are on the rise in these places."

Not mentioning directly but hinting at the BJP being a venomous snake, Banerjee said that the soil of Bengal is very hard (metaphorically) and no scratching or clawing can make it loose and the one trying to do so will be badly injured. "They who come to the state to spread venom should understand this reality."

Banerjee said Trinamool will go to the neighbouring states of Assam, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. "Do not think we are sitting idle? We will go to other states and we talk about people there too," she said.