Mamata flays Modi for destroying federalism, growing ‘saffronisation’

KOLKATA: Lashing out at the central government for “destroying federalism and pushing the states to destruction”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday ridiculed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking credit for development carried out by her government.

Addressing a mammoth rally in the city, Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, strongly condemned the “atrocities on Dalits” in Gujarat and expressed alarm over the rising attempts to saffronise everything” and “proliferation of cow protection vigilantes”.

“The Centre is interfering in everything. It is destroying the federal structure. The Constitution has specified both the centre and the state’s roles. But they are interfering in our working and constantly threatening us.

“Because of the Centre’s erroneous polices, the states have been pushed towards destruction. The Centre must remember that its existence is because of the states,” said Banerjee.

Asserting the people’s “right to choice”, she warned against the bid to “saffronise everything”.

“We strongly condemn the atrocities on the Dalits in Gujarat. In the name of ‘gau raksha’ (cow protection), they are attempting to create communal tension,” said Banerjee referring to the recent brutal assault on four Dalit youths in Gujarat’s Una town and affirming any such attempt in Bengal will not be tolerated.

“I have also come to know that some elements in connivance with a party, are asking people here in Bengal about how many cows they have”.

“If such a thing is tried in Bengal, we will not tolerate that. People have their right to choice. A few people cannot decide what others will eat, wear or study,” she asserted.

“There are attempts to saffronise everything,” said Banerjee addressing the Trinamool’s annual Martyr’s day rally observed in remembrance of 13 youths killed in police firing July 21, 1993 in the city.

She also accused the Modi government of unleashing central agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Department (ED) that “led to over 80,000 industrialists leaving the country”.

Taking a jibe at Modi’s pet schemes, including the ‘Swachh Bharat’ campaign, Banerjee claimed that funding for most of the central schemes has either been stopped or the state’s responsibilities increased.