Ausgram/Galsi (WB): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday criticised Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for asserting that nobody in the world can stop the implementation of the CAA.
She also remarked that Singh now appeared reliant on PM Narendra Modi's favour.
"You are surviving at the mercy of Modi. You are saluting Modi daily to save your chair. You or Nitin Gadkari could have been the PM today. There would have been no problem... at least there would have been a gentleman in the chair who knows minimum courtesy," she said.
Singh while addressing an election rally in Murshidabad on Sunday had said no power in the world would be able to stop the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
"We have made a law to give citizenship to those who have been persecuted in countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan for their religion. But Mamata Banerjee is not allowing it to be implemented. We will introduce the citizenship Act. No power in the world can stop its implementation," Singh had said.
Banerjee vowed to resist the CAA, NRC, and UCC. "With due respect to you, I am telling you that we (TMC) will resist the implementation of CAA, NRC and the UCC. We will see how powerful you are," she said.
Banerjee was speaking at an election rally for the party's candidate for Durgapur-Bardhaman Lok Sabha constituency Kirti Azad.
She emphasised that Singh and others in the BJP were making contentious remarks solely for publicity.
Banerjee stressed the need to defeat the BJP in the upcoming elections and urged people to conserve water amidst a crisis in some areas of the state.
Addressing another election rally for TMC's Bolpur candidate Asit Mal earlier in the day, Banerjee asked why the polls were being conducted in seven phases amid severe heatwave across the country and alleged that the schedule for the general elections was designed to "satisfy the BJP".
"Earlier, the poll process used to be over by May 2 or 3, but this year they have stretched it for three months, amid severe weather conditions. The Election Commission has planned the polls for three months to satisfy the BJP," Banerjee said.