Mamata Banerjee compares herself to 'Royal Bengal Tiger', calls BJP as 'outsider party'

As the West Bengal Assembly election 2021 dates near, all parties are eyeing to capture power in the state. Leaders cut across party lines are at their fiery best. On Tuesday, addressing a public rally at Behrampore in Murshidabad district, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee branded the BJP as an 'outsider party'. She said that "BJP is not Bengal party, it’s a party from Gujarat".

Mamata Banerjee also added that "people of Bengal will rule the State".

Compares party defectors to Mir Jafar

Comparing herself to a Royal Bengal Tiger, Mamata Banerjee said that she is not a weak person who can be intimidated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Addressing a rally in Murshidabad's Baharampur, the capital of Nawab Siraj-ud-Daullah's empire, CM Mamata Banerjee also compared those who left the TMC to join the saffron party to Mir Jafar, a commander of his army who betrayed him in the Battle of Plassey against the British in 1757.

"There is no reason to think I am weak, I am not a person to be afraid of anything. I am a strong person and will keep my head high as long as I live and till then I will live like a Royal Bengal Tiger," CM Banerjee said. Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of wrongly claiming at a BJP meeting in Haldia on Sunday, that government employees in West Bengal do not get salaries properly, she alleged that it is the Centre which is selling off BSNL, SAIL and privatising the Railways and insurance companies.

'Will continue to support farmers'

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister held a public rally at Kalna in Bardhaman, and reiterated her stand against the controversial three Central farm Bills. Until they were withdrawn, she would continue to extend support to the agitating farmers. "See what is happening to Modi babu's farmers in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh. Barbed wires and nails are being used to keep people out. Those three black bills will loot everything from the farmers. You [the farmers] will produce the crops and they will sell it to the Adanis," she alleged.

'No support during cyclone Amphan or COVID-19'

CM Banerjee also claimed that the Centre did not give any assistance to West Bengal for dealing with the devastation caused by cyclone Amphan last year, nor did it do anything to support the state to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Raking up the outsider issue, the TMC supremo claimed that the BJP is a party of Gujarat and Delhi, which is bringing in National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).

Mamata hits out at Congress and Left

She also attacked the Congress and the Left which will contest the assembly polls jointly in the state. "Congress cannot fight the BJP and does not want to do it. The CPI(M) is the BJP's big friend," she said, claiming that it is only the TMC which can take on the might of the saffron party in the state.