After TMC's 'chotiwala' jibe, Giriraj Singh says Mamata has 'neither Maya nor Ram'

'Mamata didi is chanting 'kalma' at one side and telling people about her gotra on the other,' Singh said

Amid the TMC and BJP's squabble over the ongoing West Bengal Assembly polls, Union Fisheries Minister Giriraj Singh has reacted sharply to TMC MP Mahua Moitra's statement where she said "There are chotiwalas & then there are chotiwala rakshasas who refer to gotra of Rohingyas as if it were a term of abuse. Modiji should ask his cabinet minister to refrain from such filth".

On Thursday, while addressing an election rally in Joynagar, PM Narendra Modi had said "earlier, Mamata Didi had issues with chants of 'Jai Shri Ram', over immersion of Durga idols. Now TMC has problems with people wearing saffron, sporting tilak and choti, they are calling them 'rakshas'."

Read | Didi realised contesting from Nandigram was mistake: PM

Moitra's jibe was aimed at the PM and referred to Giriraj Singh, who sports a choti. Reacting to her tweet, Singh told ANI, "The gotra of Mamata didi and mine are the same that is Shandilya. When I questioned the gotra of Rohingyas and infiltrators, her supporters called me 'chotiwala rakshas'. They have hatred towards choti, religion and Jai Shri Ram. I am proud of my religion and culture."

In the high-stakes poll battle, Mamata has gone out of her way to counter the BJP's communalism allegations towards the TMC, exhibiting her Hindu roots by reciting chants such as 'Chandi Path' during her poll rally in Nandigram. On Thursday, Banerjee said "I said that Maa Mati Manush (mother, land and people) is my gotra. However, in reality, I am from Shandilya gotra and they (BJP) are now teaching me Hinduism".

Read | Mamata vs Suvendu: Nandigram battle dons Hindutva shade

"We talk about development and employment, but Mamata didi is chanting 'kalma' at one side and telling people about her gotra on the other. She has neither 'Maya' or 'Ram'," Singh said.

Singh also said that Mamata is acting out a drama out of fear of losing. "She wrote letters to different people and to the Governor. PM rightly said that didi will talk about contesting from other places too, but where will she go? She will lose from any place she goes," he said.

Read | 'Mamata's letter to other parties shows her despair'

Singh was referring to a written by Mamata to Opposition leaders for "a united front for effective struggle against the BJP's attack on democracy and the Constitution."

Mamata had written the letter to Sonia Gandhi, the letter has been sent to several CMs including Uddhav Thackeray, Hemant Soren, and Arvind Kejriwal, alongside several Opposition leaders including Sharad Pawar and M K Stalin.

(With agency inputs)