Mamata lashes out at BJP for denying ticket to Advani, says saffron party doesn't respect elderly leaders

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday slammed the BJP at the Centre, over denial of ticket to their veteran leader Lal Krishna Advani in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and said that the saffron party does not respect elderly leaders.

"Senior leaders must not be ignored as old is gold. I feel sad for Advani ji. He is a senior man. Advani ji and Vajpayee ji are stalwarts of the BJP. But he has been left out. I feel very sad for this because if you cannot honour senior persons, you should not be disgraceful," she told reporters at the state secretariat Nabanna.

It may be mentioned that BJP has not fielded Lal Krishna Advani and has replaced him with party President Amit Shah in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat.

"In my political life I have seen many senior leaders and I cannot ignore any of them. For Advani ji, this might have been his last chance. I am feeling bad. Sometimes, I used to talk to him. I met him several times in the Parliament and at his residence as well," Banerjee maintained.

According to the Chief Minister, the BJP veteran is a mentor. "They have become so big that they have forgotten the old days. Everybody will be old one day," she said, adding that it is her personal opinion that the move by BJP is an insult to the veteran Parliamentarian.

She later said that she would like to talk to him and convey her feelings to him, if the situation permits.

Banerjee also referred to the decision of releasing the biopic PM Narendra Modi just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in the country, as a "clearly politically motivated one".

"It is better if I do not say anything. If somebody wants to release a film in his favour, let him do it. But if it is done just ahead of the election then the motive is very clear," she said.

"I think all my political party friends (Opposition parties) have already complained. There have been complaints against all the political pictures which have come out, be it the Accidental Prime Minister or this biopic. I think we must fight the battle politically," the Chief Minister added.