Modi, Mamata in war of words in Bengal's tribal belt

International Desk: A verbal battle ensued between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday as the two political heavyweights tore into each other while addressing election rallies in Bengal's tribal belt that would go to the polls on May 12.

Polling will be held in eight of West Bengal's 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the sixth phase, including a number of seats falling under tribal-dominated Junglemahal area, comprising Purulia, West Midnapore, Jhargram, parts of Bankura and Birbhum districts.

Modi and Banerjee both held rallies in Bankura and Purulia districts on Thursday where they wooed the tribal voters with promises of development and attacked each other on issues of corruption, violence and political high-handedness.

During his Purulia rally, Modi accused the leaders of Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress of being involved in illegal coal mining and depriving mine workers of their remuneration.

"You know better how Trinamool's mafia raj is continuing in coal mines here. Trinamool leaders are making money while mine workers are deprived of their remuneration.

"Purulia is endowed with natural resources. You are sitting on black gold. Till now, successive governments in the state have established mafia raj here. In fact, the Trinamool government has made mafia a part of its activities," Modi said in Purulia.

The BJP has made inroads in Purulia since the the state rural body election in 2018 and is hoping to win the parliamentary seat this time as discontent with the state's ruling regime is growing among a section of the locals.

The PM also took potshots at Banerjee for wanting to give him a "tight slap of democracy" and said he would accept it as "blessings" but quipped that had the Trinamool Congress supremo showed the guts to "slap her colleagues who stole money from the poor via chit funds, she would not be so scared of losing the elections".

Banerjee, who held a rally in the same district shortly after Modi, was quick to hit back saying she will withdraw party nominees from all the 42 Lok Sabha seats if even one if her party colleagues was found involved in any coal scam.

Agencies


risingbd/Dhaka/May 10, 2019/Nasim