Kolkata: BJP-led Centre was a govt “by the agencies, of the agencies and for the agencies”, CM Mamata Banerjee said on Monday. Addressing a public meeting in Burrabazar, a former assembly segment that had elected Tapas Roy — then with TMC — as its MLA in 2001, the Trinamool chief said: “The BJP candidate (Roy) is trying to harm Sudip da (Bandyopadhyay). Sudip da was arrested for no reason.
But he did not leave the party even after his arrest. On the other hand, he (Roy) fled just because ED raided him.” Bandyopadhyay was arrested by CBI in connection with the Rose Valley case in Jan 2017.
After 136 days in custody, he was granted bail by the Odisha High Court in May that year. The CM also indicated that BJP was pumping money into the share market hoping for a turnaround, and stuck to her assessment that BJP would not cross 200 seats. Banerjee said she had “no problem” with PM Narendra Modi coming to Kolkata for a roadshow on Tuesday, but questioned why he was publishing poll meeting advertisements as the Prime Minister of India and not a senior member of a political party.
“Can he do this? I am being referred to as TMC chairperson by my campaign managers and by my party here even though it is not assembly polls. I am adhering to the model code of conduct,” she said. Referring to Modi as the “caretaker PM”, Banerjee asserted that BJP would not return to office for a third term and the INDIA bloc would form govt.
The CM also asked why Union finance minis.
