Mamata Banerjee slams BJP

Kolkata, Aug 31 (IANS) West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has slammed the state unit of the BJP for allegedly distorting her comment about the Rajbanshi community.

She is currently in Mumbai to take part in the two-day meeting of the INDIA opposition alliance slated to kick start on Thursday.

Slamming the saffron party, the Chief Minister said in a lengthy post on X: "My love & respect for the Rajbanshi culture reflects in our vision & work for upliftment of the community. Shame on the traitors of Bengal who inject their hatred into my statements of love, unity, & profound respect for our people.

"By deliberately misinterpreting my figure of speech, the BJP has exposed its own casteist mentality and divisive politics. INDIA will teach them a lesson!"

While addressing a rally on the occasion of the foundation day of Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, the students’ wing of the party, Banerjee had said that while Hindus and Muslims were her hands, the Rajbanshis and Matuas were her legs.

On Wednesday, Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari launched a scathing attack against the Chief Minister over her statement.

According to Adhikari, by comparing them with her legs, Banerjee had insulted the Rajbanshis, who are, as the name suggests hails from the royal race.

"She could have compared the Rajbanshis with her other body parts like heart or eyelids. Comparing people of any community with the legs can never be any complementary speech. Her comments were so insulting for the people,” he said.