Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using her gesture of sending ‘kurta’ and ‘sweets’ to him for political mileage.
In an interview to Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar on Wednesday, the PM had revealed that Banerjee, one of his harshest critics, still sends him kurtas and Bengali sweets every year.
“What’s wrong in sending sweets and kurta? Not only him (Modi), I send gifts to other leaders as well. It’s a political courtesy. At least I am not wishing bad for anyone. But look at him…instead of maintaining the courtesy, he is attacking me every day in public rallies,” Banerjee said at a public rally in Suri area of Birbhum district.
She further accused Modi of using her courtesy to pursue his political interests. “Modi is marketing my courtesy for his political interests. I condemned this. He calls me ‘goonda’ (goon). I would like to ask him, if I am a goonda, then who is he? I would like to ask him, who killed Mahatma Gandhi? I would like to remind him about the Gujarat riots. People of this country will teach him a lesson.”
Modi, in a candid interview with actor Akshay Kumar, had said: “It may affect me during elections but I can admit that Mamata Banerjee still gifts me kurtas... When Banerjee found out that Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina gifted me Bengali sweets, she also started to send me those.”
During a rally on April 20, Modi had said that he misunderstood Banerjee by thinking she is hardworking and always stood for the poor. “You trusted your speed breaker didi (Mamata) but she betrayed you. This is not your fault. Before becoming PM, even I used to think that she is a ‘Sadagi ki Murat’ (idol of simplicity). But after I became the PM, I got to know more about her and today, my head hangs in shame with her anti-people policies in Bengal. I was wrong. It was my mistake (to understand her)”.
In retaliation, Banerjee said that the PM is a habitual liar and she is committed to oust his government at the Centre.
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