'There is no place for outsiders in Bengal', says CM Mamata Banerjee to Amit Shah

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee continued her tirade against Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the third day in a row on Thursday.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee sought to remind Amit Shah of his "duties" and claimed that a home minister must run the country but instead he was busy "managing municipal elections".

"I've never seen such a home minister... a home minister must run the country, instead he is busy managing municipal elections. He is busy visiting people's houses for meals and taking photos. Look at the state of the country, look where our economy is. It has crashed completely," Mamata Banerjee said.

Mamata Banerjee's comments come at a time Amit Shah has set the tone for the BJP's high-octane campaign against the Trinamool Congress-led government in Bengal for the state election due in about six months.

Sharpening her attack on the BJP, Mamata Banerjee said there is "no place for outsiders in Bengal".

"There is no place for outsiders in Bengal. Those who have made Bengal their home out of love are our friends. They are our people. But those who come just before elections to foment communal trouble are nothing but outsiders," Mamata Banerjee said.

With Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh harping on the "Gujarat model" for the state, Mamata Banerjee said: "Let Gujarat remain in Gujarat. Why do they want to make Bengal into Gujarat? No need to turn Bengal into Gujarat using communal



riots. Bengal is the land of Rabindranath-Nazrul Islam, it is not the land of communal riots like Gujarat."

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'one nation, one election' pitch, Mamata Banerjee said, "BJP only wants one man, one politics, one leader, and nothing else. The nation is for all of us. Where were they during the freedom struggle? That time they had betrayed the nation."

As the TMC government opposed the countrywide strike called by various Left parties, Mamata Banerjee clarified that her party was fully supportive of the farmer's cause but won't allow the CPM to disturb business in the state.

Mamata Banerjee condemned the police action on farmers in Haryana and said the BJP has snatched their livelihood and is trying to curb their rights.

Terming the new farm law "illegal", Mamata Banerjee said she was willing to participate in the agitation if invited. "They cannot curb the democratic rights of farmers. If a law is not meant for farmers but for black marketers, it is illegal. Why does the central government want to snatch away farmers' rights?. I stand with the farmers... if they call me, I am ready to be by their side," Mamata Banerjee said.

The BJP was responsible for passing anti-farmer laws and farmers are angry, Mamata Banerjee said, adding the Centre also passed anti-people legislation like the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill and removed essential food items like potato and onion from it.