Kolkata: Unable to "combat the Trinamool Congress (TMC) politically", the BJP is "deploying agencies against" us to harass our leaders, party chairperson Mamata Banerjee claimed while addressing a virtual rally to celebrate the foundation day of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) on Saturday.
"BJP is the most inhuman and vindictive party I have seen during my political career spanning over four-and-a-half decades. They have sold off the country," she said.
Reacting to the Enforcement Directorate's notice sent to Abhishek Banerjee in connection with the coal scam case, she said: "People should know that I do not take the monthly pension of the MPs worth Rs 1 lakh and the Chief Minister's salary which is more than a lakh. Every time, they attack my family members. We know which BJP leaders had stayed in the hotels owned by the coal mafias in Asansol. I have always maintained a political courtesy but will not allow the BJP to take me for a ride."
Warning of retaliation against the 'politically motivated' moves of the saffron camp and stepping up the counter-attack, she said: "No use pointing fingers at the Trinamool for corruption in coal. It is under the Centre. What about its ministers? What about the BJP leaders who looted the coal belt of Bengal, the Asansol region."
The TMC supremo further alleged that the BJP had lowered the prestige and impartiality of all the agencies in the country. "The BJP understands only two things — manage and damage — and this has ruined India," she opined.
Questioning the impartiality of the National Human Rights Commission, she said: "The person who submitted the report to the Court is a known BJP man. I am not against the NHRC team visiting the state, but why should they take BJP leaders along with them when they are visiting different areas. Sixteen Trinamool workers were killed in post-poll violence against five supporters of BJP, she said, adding: "It is astonishing that no NHRC team was sent to Uttar Pradesh where a girl was raped and murdered in Hathras. Also, when our women workers are beaten up in Tripura, the NHRC team is missing."
Banerjee said Trinamool Congress teams comprising the MPs were not allowed to visit the spots in BJP-led states like Uttar Pradesh and Assam. "Everywhere they are trying to stifle the voice of the Opposition. I propose to hold a conference of the Opposition Chief Ministers to discuss how the BJP has destroyed the federal structure of our country."
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his attitude of shameless self-publicity, Banerjee said: "Every certificate given to those getting vaccinated has his photograph. If that be the case, then the death certificates of Covid patients should also carry his photograph. The best thing would have been to put the photo of the National Flag on the certificates," she said adding: "We know how the Gujarat government had manipulated the number of Covid deaths."
Claiming that the saffron party was crippling the country's education system, Banerjee said in all the Central universities, only BJP-affiliated persons have been made members of different committees.
She suggested that students should get in touch with their counterparts in different universities outside Bengal and protest against the autocratic decisions of the Centre.
Urging students to join politics, the TMC chief said: "They are the future of the country and through politics the needy can be served. The involvement of students in politics is decreasing and this is not a good sign. I joined politics as a student. I want more and more students to join politics."
Maintaining that the state will continue to support students, she informed that the Chief Minister's Office will engage 500 students and they will be sent to different places to have an "on the spot" experience about the functioning of the government. "Later, they will be given certificates," she maintained.
"We have given Rs 10,000 to 9.5 lakh students to buy cell phones so that they can carry on with their studies. Student Credit Cards have been initiated to help them go ahead with higher education," she informed.
Trinamool state president Subrata Bakshi, secretary-general Partha Chatterjee, national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and state Education minister Bratya Basu shared the stage with the Trinamool supremo.