Narendra Modi didn't extend any olive branch to Mamata: BJP

KOLKATA: With Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi echoing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's view on UPA's alleged apathy towards non-Congress states and misdeeds of the Left, BJP tonight said sympathising with Banerjee's view did not mean extending olive branch to her before Lok Sabha polls.

"Some channels are showing that Modi has extended an olive branch to Mamata. But the fact is Modi has sympathised with the views of Mamata and shown sympathy towards the condition of the state. In no way it means extending an olive branch to Mamata," said Tathagata Roy, BJP's national executive member.

Going soft on Mamata at a programme here, Modi slammed the previous Left Front government for the ills of West Bengal during its "32-year rule," and compared it to the state that the Congress had allegedly left Gujarat when he came to power in 2001.

In a lighter vein, he said the media was not interested in the growth of Gujarat and was more interested in Mamata-Modi comparison.