By Express News Service
VARANASI: A day after she was stopped by and shown black flags by BJP workers in PM Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee on Thursday made it clear that she won’t be cowed down by such incidents as she is a “fighter and not a coward”.
Addressing a mega gathering of the Samajwadi Party-led alliance in a village on Varanasi’s outskirts, Banerjee said, “They (BJP cadres) don’t know that I don’t get cowed down. I’ve been attacked by CPI(M) people many times in the past. Bullets too have been fired at me in the past, but I’ve remained fearless. I’m not a coward, but a fighter.”
The TMC chief said the “attack” on her was a sign that the saffron party was losing in the UP polls. “I thank the brainless BJP men for Wednesday’s developments, as it has sent a clear message that the BJP is losing. Do whatever you want to do, I’ll keep coming to UP and Varanasi not once, but a thousand times in future.”
While lashing out at UP CM Yogi Adityanath, the West Bengal CM said, “don’t do extreme gundagardi (hooliganism) with me, you are not a saint, but an insult in the name of saint. The UP CM is not a yogi but instead a bhogi. Voting for Akhilesh Yadav in this UP election will ensure that UP has improved ties with Bengal in future.”
She further said she had no objections to Jai Siya Ram slogan, but didn’t believe in Jai Sri Ram slogans, as the “true slogan is Jai Siya Ram that encompasses the name of Sita Mata also”. “I’m a worshipper of Durga, the same Goddess who was worshipped by Lord Ram.”
“It’s not so easy, khela hoga,” she said, referring to the Hindi variation of the Bangla phrase which was the election motto of TMC in Bengal.
