BJP should manage own house, no one voted for it in Punjab: Mamata Banerjee

Speaking at the inauguration of a pumping booster station at Harish park in south Kolkata, Mamata reiterated the Modi government was threatening her with CBI probes as she had opposed demonetisation. Alleging that the Modi government is responsible for “destroying economy of the country”, she said: “What the country had achieved in all these years has been destroyed because of this (note ban)… And now, when I am talking against demonetisation, they are threatening me with CBI… You can set up 1,000 CBIs against me but I will go on raising my voice for the people.”

Taking on Congress, Mamata said it should look into its own mistakes and concentrate on Delhi before thinking about West Bengal. “Congress, you were there in Delhi for a long time. But you could not run the government well there… First, you must govern at the Centre properly, then talk about (West) Bengal… This will do good for you,” she added.

Mamata had received support from the Congress in New Delhi during Parliament session in December last year when she opposed demonetisation. But since then, the state Congress has been continuously opposing Mamata, attacking her on issues ranging from the state Budget to allegations that she was fanning communal violence. Mamata, meanwhile, went on to describe the CPM as a “lost case” and a party with “no credibility”. “Those who were in power earlier did not do any work, and now, are giving lectures. We have inherited a huge debt burden from the previous government. Despite financial constraints, we are constantly working for the people. We have initiated social welfare schemes like Kanyashree, Sikkha Shree, Sabuj Shree, Yuvashree,” Mamata said.

“Earlier, everyone used to say ‘Bengal is finished’. Now, people praise the progress the state is has made,” she said, while urging the Opposition not to “indulge in destructive politics, but participate in constructive development”.