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  Metros   Kolkata  26 Feb 2019  Mamata Banerjee hits out at Modi government on Pulwama terror attack

Mamata Banerjee hits out at Modi government on Pulwama terror attack

THE ASIAN AGE. | RAJIB CHOWDHURI
Published : Feb 26, 2019, 2:37 am IST
Updated : Feb 26, 2019, 2:37 am IST

She not only called the surgical strike merely a “war-game” but also cautioned Modi that politics should not be played with the blood of the jawans.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee addresses her party leaders during Trinamul Congress’s extended core committee meet in Kolkata on Monday.(Photo: PTI )
 West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee addresses her party leaders during Trinamul Congress’s extended core committee meet in Kolkata on Monday.(Photo: PTI )

Kolkata: Levelling a high voltage allegation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday asserted that he knew beforehand of the Pulwama attack but he did not act eyeing for votes in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

In her address to the Trinamul Congress core committee meeting at Nazrul Mancha in south Kolkata, she also sought Mr Modi to explain why the attack happened and questionned where he was during the attack.

Sharpening her salvo against the PM, the Trinamul supremo even charged him of pushing the jawans to the “jaws of death” instead of airlifting them although his government had intelligence inputs about the terror strike.

She not only called the surgical strike merely a “war-game” but also cautioned Mr Modi that politics should not be played with the blood of the jawans.

Although Ms Banerjee condemned the terror attack and expressed her condolences to the bereaved families of the slain jawans, this was however the first time she held Mr Modi directly responsible for the terror strike which left more than 40 Central Reserve Police Force jawans dead on February 14 in Jammu and Kashmir.

Ms Banerjee asked Mr Modi, “Why did it happen Modibabu? Where were you when the incident took place? You knew beforehand that the incident was going to happen.”

Lambasting the PM, she alleged, “You had prior information. The government had intelligence inputs. It also had instructions. Why did you then push the jawans into the jaws of death instead of airlifting them, conducting naka-checking and sanitising the roads? Just because of playing politics for votes as the elections are nearing? The blood of the jawans is not for the politics of votes. It will not succeed.”

Taking a dig at Mr Modi for receiving Seoul Peace Prize 2018 recently, the CM claimed, “You would be able to mislead the people only for a few days. Surgical strike is a war-game only. So is shadow war. He poses himself to be a great leader. After triggering a war and riot across the country, he took peace prize to present himself as an ambassador of humanity.” Vowing to oust Mr Modi from power and bring a change at the Centre, she instructed the Trinamul rank and file to ensure the party’s victory in all of the 42 Lok Sabha seats.

Ms Banerjee told the workers, “It is not merely a word that I am talking of winning 42 out of 42. We have to reflect the plan in action.”

Tags: mamata banerjee, prime minister narendra modi, pulwama attack