Another series of bouts between Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and BJP campaigners, UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took place in poll-bound West Bengal, on Tuesday, 16 March.
At a rally in Bankura, Banerjee reiterated that the attack on her was a conspiracy by the BJP to kill her. She questioned the Election Commission’s decision to remove her security in-charge.
In Bankura district’s Mejia, while addressing a crowd from her wheelchair, Banerjee said that Home Minister Amit Shah was getting frustrated by the poor turnout at his rallies. She further said that Amit Shah’s scheduled rally in Jhargram was cancelled due to low attendance rather than a technical issue.
Training her guns on Shah, she asked, “Will the Union Home Minister run the country or hatch conspiracies to harass us in Bengal?” PTI reported. She further stated, “Do they want to kill me? Do they think that they will win this election by killing me? They are wrong.”
‘Blame Stems From Desperation’: Rajnath Singh
Singh on Tuesday wished West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee a speedy recovery, but said that she was blaming the BJP for her leg injury in her desperation to win the upcoming Assembly elections.
At Nandigram, Singh said, “No one levelled allegations except Mamata didi. The reports of probe agencies and observers state that the accident occurred due to security lapses,” PTI reported.
‘BJP’s Change Compelling Mamata to Visit Temples’: Adityanath
At an election rally at Balarampur in Purulia district on Tuesday, Adityanath said that since the BJP had come to power, there had been a change in people’s mindset, which compelled Banerjee to visit temples and take to ‘Chandi Paath’.
He further said, “A change has come. Even Mamata didi has started visiting temples and taken to ‘Chandi Path’. Isn’t this a change? This is new India. Each and every person has to go to God.”
The Alleged Attack
Banerjee was allegedly attacked while campaigning in Nandigram on 10 March, and the doctor treating her had initially stated that she had suffered severe bone injuries on her ankle and shoulder. She was discharged from SSKM Hospital in Kolkata on Friday, 12 March.
(With inputs from PTI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)