Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre of ‘saffronisation’, including the jersey of the Indian cricket team, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that India would have won had the final match been held at Kolkata’s Eden Garden or at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
“I still feel India would have won the finals had the match taken place in Kolkata [Eden Gardens] or Wankhede [Stadium]. Our players are so good in the game. They have changed the practice jerseys to ‘gerua’ [saffron] colour. They had even said that the match cannot be played in blue jerseys. It was because the players objected that they refrained from changing the uniform altogether,” Ms. Banerjee said addressing her party workers at Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor Stadium.
The Trinamool Congress chief claiming that “sinners carry misfortune wherever they go” while referring to the BJP. A few days ago Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in a poll speech in Rajasthan, had used the panauti (jinx) barb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing her party workers, Ms. Banerjee said that they (BJP) are colouring everything, from Metro stations to toilets, with saffron.
Ms. Banerjee said that onus of stopping the smuggling of coal and cattle lies with the Central government. “Coal India Limited (CIL) is run by the Centre. Coal mines are guarded by CISF, which is a Central force. The border is also guarded by the BSF,” the Chief Minister said, alleging that ‘big leaders’ who are sitting elsewhere are involved in cattle smuggling.
“Cows for smuggling to Bangladesh are brought from different states, including UP. Who takes the cut there?” she said, subtly implying that BJP leaders were involved in cattle smuggling. The remarks by the Chief Minister assume significance as leaders of her own party are allegedly involved in coal and cattle smuggling scam.
Ms. Banerjee said that BJP is scared of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, and its acronym. “The name INDIA is in the Constitution. Can you change the Constitution,” the Chief Minister asked.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha election, Ms. Banerjee accused the BJP government of corruption while declaring that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was falsely accused in the Bofors arms deal case. The Trinamool Congress chairperson said that once the BJP is out of power, arms deals including Rafale fighter jets will be investigated.
