Insult to Netaji and Bengal: Mamata on 'Jai Shree Ram' chants

“BJP is a washing machine. Those who seek to make their black money white are planning to join the BJP," Mamata said

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that the BJP insulted Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose by raising the Jai Shree Ram slogan at an event to celebrate his birth anniversary. She further alleged that the slogans were raised as an attempt to tease and malign her presence.

Addressing the gathering at Pursurah in Hooghly district the Chief Minister said that she was teased by some “semi-literate religious fanatics” and warned the saffron party of a “befitting political reply.”

“Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is a national leader. I went to the programme to celebrate his birth anniversary and some semi literate religious fanatics dared to tease me in front of the Prime Minister,” said Mamata.

Also read: TMC supporters protest against 'insult' of Mamata Banerjee at Victoria Memorial event

Her comments come a day after she refused to speak at a programme to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji at Victoria Memorial in Kolkata when a section of the audience raised the 'Jai Shree Ram’ before her speech in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Warning the BJP to not try to intimidate her, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said that if they show him a gun, she will respond with an entire arsenal.

“If you show me a gun I will respond with an arsenal. I don’t believe in using guns. I believe in politics. I will give a befitting political reply. I would have saluted you if you chanted ‘Netaji, Nataji’, but what you have done is an insult to Netaji and Bengal,” said Mamata.

She lashed out at the BJP alleging that earlier they had insulted Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore by wrongly saying he was born in Shantiniketan, they vandalised Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar’s statue and garlanded someone else’s statue thinking it was tribal icon Birsa Munda.

“BJP is a washing machine. Thieves are bathing in it and coming out clean. Those who seek to make their black money white are planning to join the BJP. I am telling them to go to BJP as early as you can. Don’t try to return to TMC again. We will not take you back,” said Mamata.

“Trinamool would not have given you ticket. That’s why you are running away in fear,” she added.

She further alleged BJP gained foothold in Bengal with the support of the CPI(M) and the Congress.