Mamata Banerjee invites PM Narendra Modi for a debate

KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for labelling her ‘speed-breaker didi’ and her government an ‘aunt-nephew government’ by calling him an ‘expiry babu’ who went around “spreading lies”. Rescheduling her Coochbehar rally to speak after Modi’s speeches, Banerjee invited him to a oneon-one political debate.

“From now onwards, I will call him expiry babu. I invite expiry babu to join me in a debate. We will discuss who initiated what kind of development projects. At a rally in Siliguri, he called me anti-poor. He has no shame while spreading lies. What did he do for the poor in five years? I too want answers.”

“I do not believe in the brand of Hinduism that you (BJP-RSS) preach. I do not believe in the brand of Hinduism which preaches killing of innocent people of other faiths. I believe in the Hinduism preached by Shri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda,” Banerjee said, adding that she will never support an ideology where one kills another person for belonging to a different religion.


Replying to the prime minister’s ‘speed breaker’ allegation, the West Bengal chief minister said: “You worry about Delhi first before turning your eyes towards Bengal.” Accusing the Modi government of heightening farm distress, she claimed: “Around 12,000 farmers committed suicide over the last five years in India. We have done much more for the welfare of farmers and their income has tripled.”