Modi not mentally prepared to go out of power: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee hit out at Prime Minister Modi soon after he ended his speech in Durgapur on Saturday. Mamata said that PM Modi tenure is going to end in a month but he is not mentally prepared to actually go out of power.

Speaking to a TV channel, Mamata flared up at the attack by the prime minister and launched a counter-attack with allegations against Modi over 2002 Gujarat riots.

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Banerjee, who convened a meeting of two dozen opposition leaders on January 19 in Kolkata’s Brigade Parade ground, repeated her earlier stand that the Centre is trying to unleash the investigative agencies against anyone who dared to oppose him.

The West Bengal chief minister also responded to Modi’s jibe that she is afraid of the interrogation as she is probably in the wrong. “Why fear if you have not done anything wrong? Even I was interrogated for nine hours,” Modi said in Durgapur.

Banerjee retorted with a counter saying, “It is true that riots happened (in Gujarat). He was a culprit and, therefore, he was questioned (by the CBI). But just because he was grilled does not mean that he would also use the agencies to interrogate others?”

“In true fascist style, he (PM Modi) is trying to encircle everyone with agencies…The Union government will last for a month at the most. But it seems he is not mentally prepared for going out of power,” she said.

Mamata then took a different angle to lash out at the prime minister. “He has no allies in the country. He wraps himself in fashion. He is not capable of anything. He even delivers his speech with the help of teleprompters,” said Mamata.

Rejecting Modi’s allegations that the state government was preventing implementation of central projects in the fields of road, railways, health in the state, the Bengal chief minister asked, “Why is the Centre stalling projects such as the deep sea port and Deocha Pachami coal mine project?”

“Saradha and Narada contain no substance. Narada is a sting. People have been seen taking Rs 1 lakh for elections. Who are they to ask questions? They use hundreds of crores of rupees in elections,” alleged the Trinamool chief.