West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday objected to Narendra Modi being dubbed as a prime minister and not a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the party’s campaign in the Lok Sabha elections.
“Modiji has every right to campaign. He has every right to come here and participate in election programmes. But I am surprised to see him being referred to as the PM in his party’s campaign advertisements,” Banerjee was quoted as saying by PTI during a campaign in the Kolkata Uttar constituency.ALSO READ: ‘Only guarantee is Narendra Modi not returning to power’, says Mamata Banerjee
“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. Still, I am adhering to the model code of conduct,” the Trinamool Congress chief added, a day before Modi’s scheduled roadshow in the state capital.
Referring to Modi as the “caretaker PM”, Banerjee asserted that the BJP will not return to power for a third term and the INDIA bloc will form the government at the Centre.
The chief minister expressed her regret on not being able to attend the crucial INDIA bloc meeting on June 1, citing the seventh phase of general elections in Bengal. “The INDIA bloc has fixed the meeting for June 1. However, with voting in my state on that day, I informed them I can’t attend. Elections are also scheduled in other states like UP and Bihar,” she explained.ALSO READ: Mamata Banerjee announces post-Lok Sabha elections plan for INDIA bloc, says…
‘BJP sowing division among communities to gain votes’: Mamata
Continuing her attack on the BJP, Mamata asked the people not to fall for any “communal rift trap” set by the BJP.
“If part of my speech is clipped and shown to make me appear anti-religion, it hurts. At a recent meeting on our development initiatives, I said listing all our initiatives would take more time than reading religious books. Most of that speech was chopped off to give the impression I disrespected religion, which was then made viral to show me as anti-God,” she clarified.
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