Bengal polls: Didi indifferent to people’s health, skips Covid meetings, says Modi 

Express News Service
KOLKATA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is not concerned about people’s healthcare as she skipped the last two meetings convened in the wake of the second wave of the Covid pandemic.

“I held two meetings with the chief ministers. But she did not attend. She is not concerned about people’s healthcare in Bengal in the wake of the Covid pandemic,” Modi said while addressing a poll rally in Asansol.

Modi also attacked Mamata for politicising the Cooch Behar firing incident a day after the leak of her audiotape in which she is allegedly heard proposing a rally with the victims’ dead bodies.

“An audio tape has come out which shows how Didi (Mamata) is doing politics over it. Didi is asking to take out a procession with dead bodies. She is doing politics over the bodies of the Cooch Behar victims,” he said.

ALSO READ | Mamata put future of millions of Bengal’s youth at stake to secure nephew’s; playing politics of vengence: PM Modi

In the audio clip, Mamata is purportedly heard instructing TMC candidate in Sitalkuchi Partha Pratim Ray not to release the bodies as she would organise a procession with it. She was also heard instructing Ray to engage professional lawyers before lodging an FIR.

Modi also castigated Mamata citing her speech and alleging that the Bengal CM used such words while attacking him which doesn’t befit Bengal’s culture.

“She made a comment on my growing beard and said something was wrong with my head. She labelled me as a superman and accused me of instigating communal discord. The language she used to attack a Prime Minister doesn’t befit to Bengal’s culture,” the PM said.     

Modi, in his speech, reminded of the communal clash that took place in Asansol after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. “Hundreds of properties were destroyed in the incident. Who was in support of the people responsible for the riots in Asansol?” asked Modi without naming Mamata.

Recalling the 2018 panchayat elections, the PM accused TMC of insulting India’s democracy by depriving people to contest and exercise their franchise. “The people of Bengal have not forgotten how candidates of opposition parties were not allowed to submit nominations in one-third seats in the rural polls. Even, the Supreme Court expressed displeasure over the TMC’s atrocities in the panchayat elections,” he added.