Days after Union Home minister Amit Shah’s two-day visit to the state, West Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee came down heavily on him while demanding his resignation.
Reacting to HM Shah’s comments that the state (West Bengal) government won’t survive after 2025, Banerjee said, “We demand the resignation of the Union Home Minister.”
“Instead of protecting democracy and the federal structure, he said that he would bring down an elected government. Which law permits him to do so? Does it mean they will rewrite the law? Will they replace the constitution too?” the mercurial Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said.
“We want to state this in clear and concise language: Amit Shah has no right to make such false claims. And if he does so, then he has no right to remain as the Home Minister of our country. We demand the resignation of the Home Minister, in a
constitutional manner,” Banerjee further stated.
On April 14, while attending a public rally in Birbhum’s Siuri, HM Shah set a target of 35 seats in the Lok Sabha for the BJP. He also said that if the goal is achieved, the TMC-ruled state government will not survive.
“The other day in Uttar Pradesh, a ghastly incident took place. If someone dies in police custody, what will we say about the law and order of that state?” Banerjee said.
“I am not supporting any crime, most of the crime is done by the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party, the largest opposition party in West Bengal),” she said, adding, “But we need to ask this question: What is going on in this country? Whoever you want, do you kill them? You hack them, you thrash them? You put investigative agencies behind them to harass them. Will you send central fact-finding teams to Uttar Pradesh now?”
Accusing the central government of using central investigation agencies for its purpose, Banerjee said, “CBI (the Central Bureau of Investigation) has been let loose on every opposition leader. ED (Enforcement Directorate), CBI and NIA (National Investigation Agency) are being sent even when a chocolate bomb is exploding.”
“NIA is there to protect our country, yet they are partaking in deals. The central government should not think that we are unaware of what is going on in the country,” Banerjee said.
While Congress already took the first concrete step to unite the Opposition for the 2024 general election, Banerjee also called for the Opposition to come together.
“I will ask the Opposition parties to come together. Let us all get together to save our country and its federal structure,” she said.
Taking a potshot at HM Shah, Banerjee said, “The Home Minister claims that they will get 35 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal. They don’t have the might to get even five seats.”
“I can say with certainty that the BJP is not coming to power in 2024. So, their dream of toppling the Bengal government in 2025 will remain a dream. People will not vote for ‘thok do’, they will vote for ‘kaam do’,” Banerjee said.