Mamata hits out at BJP on farmers' issues

Mamata questioned why the farmers were not getting food in the states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and why was there no proper respect for women and teachers in these states.

"Why did 12,000 farmers commit suicide in the BJP-ruled states? Why do you (BJP governments) not feed the farmers?," Banerjee asked, while speaking at a rally at Bajkul in East Midnapore district.

Several farmers in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have committed suicide this year mainly due to crop failure, debt and inability to repay bank loans.

Thousands of farmers from across the country had held a massive protest in Delhi on November 29 to press for their demands, including debt relief and remunerative prices for their produce.

Keeping up her attack against the BJP, Banerjee asked, "Why do you (BJP) not show respect to teachers and women? Why do you kill people? Why do you create differences, leading to violence and vandalism in the country?"

She alleged that the saffron party was "killing the minorities, driving away Hindus and torturing Christians".

Reiterating that the BJP was lying to people and trying to divide them on the basis of religion, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief referred to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's recent comment in poll-bound Rajasthan that Hanuman was a Dalit, but did not name him or elaborate.

The BJP, she said, was against both Hindus and Muslims, adding, "It has driven away Bengalis from Assam and Biharis from Gujarat. It drives away Muslims at times and Hindus at times from the country.... Of the over 40 lakh people kept out of the complete NRC (National Register of Citizens) list in Assam, 23 lakh are Hindu Bengalis."

Stating that the BJP had not fought for the country's independence, Banerjee alleged that former Communist Party of India (Marxist) activists, who had tortured the people of the state during the previous Left Front rule, had now switched over to the saffron party.

She said she would not let the CPI(M) "goons" to return to action in West Bengal, adding, "We (TMC) have carried out several movements and expelled the CPI(M) from West Bengal. Now, the expelled CPI(M) activists have joined the BJP and are trying to continue to torture the people. We will politically expel each and everyone from the state."