Bhubaneswar: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a direct debate with her hours after he called her a “speed breaker” on the path of development.
“There is a speed breaker in West Bengal, who you know by the name of ‘Didi’. This ‘Didi’ is the speed breaker of your development,” Modi told a massive rally in north Bengal’s Siliguri from where he launched BJP’s national election campaign in Bengal, reports NDTV. “I am waiting for this speed breaker to go so that development can gather speed,” he said.
Mamata hit back at another poll rally, saying: “I am not Modi, I don’t tell lies.” She referred to the Prime Minister as “expiry babu” in her speech and dared him to participate in a direct debate with her, reports The Quint. She also said that farmers’ income had increased by three times in Bengal while 12,000 farmers committed suicide during Modi’s reign.
Later, at a rally at Kolkata’s historic Brigade Parade Ground, the Prime Minister attacked both Mamata and Congress, accusing them of questioning the Armed Forces and not caring about national security. “Who is asking for proof of air strikes? Who was casting aspersions on air strikes and disappointing the Army? ‘Show us the bodies of terrorists’ – who asked this?” NDTV reported the Prime Minister as saying.
Calling Congress the Trinamool’s “elder” party, the Prime Minister accused it of “toying” with the country’s security.
Since Tuesday, Congress is being attacked by BJP over its promise to amend the controversial AFSPA (Armed Forces’ Special Powers Act). Modi said that Congress wants the Army’s security cover removed. “The law protecting them will be repealed. Congress is promising something that would help terrorists in Pakistan,” he said.
He also said that the Congress manifesto comes with an expiry date: May 23, the day the results of the national elections are expected.
