Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata
Kolkata, Mar 29: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday strongly criticised the BJP’s recently released “charge sheet” against her government, urging the party to first account for the Central government’s actions.
Speaking at an election rally in Manbazar, Purulia district, Banerjee said, “Yesterday, a very prominent leader of the BJP released a charge sheet against the Trinamool party. I say: first, release a charge sheet against yourselves, provide an account of how many people you have killed through riots… They do not listen to the people; their sole agenda is to strike people's names off the electoral rolls. Rioters, autocrats, destroyers of democracy… let no one cast a vote for them.” She did not explicitly mention Union Home Minister Amit Shah by name.
The remarks came in response to a 35-page dossier submitted by Shah on Saturday, which criticised the Trinamool Congress over law and order, infiltration, and corruption, framing the upcoming election as a battle for both the state and national security.
Addressing Shah’s earlier comments about her alleged use of a “bandage” for sympathy, Banerjee dismissed the accusations, recalling past attacks: “Apparently, before elections, I go around wearing a bandage. I have returned from the jaws of death time and again. Go to the hospital and check the medical records. During the last election, it was your people who deliberately injured my leg. Are you planning to attack me again?”
She accused the BJP of attempting character assassination and conspiracy: “During the 2021 Assembly elections, you deliberately inflicted an injury upon my leg. Yet, I campaigned in a wheelchair. This is not merely character assassination; it is a conspiracy to kill me. But you know the saying: ‘If Krishna protects, who can harm?’ Perpetrators always leave behind traces of their crime.”
Reaffirming her position in the upcoming polls, Banerjee urged voters to back her directly: “You need not look at who the candidate is; I am the candidate. Place your trust in me and cast your vote. The Trinamool will form the government. No matter how many conspiracies you hatch, they will all come to nothing. Let unrest never return to the Jangalmahal region again.”
Her speech combined a strong defence of her tenure, sharp criticism of the BJP, and a call for continued public support ahead of the Assembly elections.