Mamata Banerjee: Wind direction changing… Modi will be ex-PM in a few days

She also accused Modi of  “lying” about the Centre’s efforts to monitor rescue and relief operations before and after cyclone Remal. She claimed that it was her government which took measures to save the lives of people from the cyclone.

“Today, the PM — who will become ex-PM in only a few more days — said that he was monitoring the cyclone from Delhi. Is it befitting of a PM to lie so much? Lying is not a constitutional right for anyone. I urge him to rethink what he said. The NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) is a central team, but the state government bears the cost of availing its services… How much does he know about the country,” she said.

“The direction of the wind is changing in the country. I was the first to point it out,” she said. “He (Modi) is giving interviews now. In the past 10 years, he has never given any objective interview to any journalist, as the questions and answers are pre-written. This is why I called for a public debate between the two of us. If he wants, I am willing to go to Gujarat too — the press can question us freely. I will see how much he knows, and loves, the country,” said Banerjee.

“He had said ‘na khaunga, na khaane dunga’. But now, he has consumed everything and sold the country in the process, along with its citizens, the Constitution, and the public sector,” she claimed.

“He and his team have a plan for everything. The BJP humiliated our mothers and sisters to make an election issue out of the Sandeshkhali conspiracy and defame West Bengal… We will not accept this disrespect to our women. Everytime he comes here, he ensures the transfer of an IAS officer. Even today, they did the same. They are showing their power. The people will respond to this arrogance through the ballot,” Banerjee said.

“When Tejashwi Yadav was having his meal including fish, the PM criticised this… Should people eat mushrooms then? Today, I got to know that the Taiwanese mushrooms that the PM eats costs Rs 80,000. His meals have cost Rs 4 lakh. I don’t mind him eating expensive meals. But why does he try to stop other people from eating what they want,” she said. “Can Bengalis be deprived of their fish and rice,” she asked.

Polling in nine Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal will be held in the final phase on June 1.