'Are votes more important to Mamata than the country?'

BJP working president J P Nadda on Friday asked whether West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee opposed the abrogation of Article 370 for the sake of vote bank politics. He also asked whether clinging to power is more important to Mamata than the country.

“I want to ask Mamata ji today if vote bank is more important to you than national interest?” said Nadda. He was speaking at a BJP program on the abrogation of Article 370.

Urging BJP workers to ask people whether the abrogation of Article 370 was justified, Nadda said that if it was a right decision, then why did Mamata and the TMC oppose it.

“If the abrogation of Article 370 was justified, then why Mamata’s party - Trinamool Congress (TMC) - opposed it. Is getting votes and clinging to power more important than the country?” said Nadda.

The BJP leader, warning Mamata that her days in power are numbered, advised her to read the writing on the wall and exercise restraint in her politics.

Nadda also took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, saying that his statement on Article 370 was used by Pakistan for its argument on Jammu and Kashmir at the United Nations.

“Are they advocates of Pakistan? Is this their patriotism? Is this the nationalist Indian National Congress? Does TMC think getting votes is more important than the country,” said Nadda.