October 26, 2023
They are changing and chopping history, playing the politics of hate: Mamata Banerjee
Highlights of Mamata Banerjee’s press conference on October 26:
This is not a political press conference. When the limit has become limitless, I am forced to speak out.
The Enforcement Directorate is torturing people in the name of probes and raids … TMC minister Jyotipriya Mallick is unwell. We will lodge an FIR against BJP if anything happens to him during the ED raids. I want to ask whether there has been a single ED raid at any BJP leader’s residence.
When you raid the houses of all ministers, where’s the (state) government left? … This is a dirty game, and they (the BJP) are pathological liars.
(Referring to the raids) They are tumbling down ghee bottles and oil bottles, taking pictures of saris and cosmetics in the name of raids.
Like Mohammad bin Tughlak, the BJP is attempting to change the country’s history by making a series of ill-conceived decisions, including demonetisation and the introduction of GST.
NCERT is planning to use the name ‘Bharat’ instead of ‘India’ in school textbooks.
The Lok Sabha election is due after five months. Elections in five states are nearing. Now, the son of a chief minister (Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s son Vaibhav Gehlot) was summoned (by the ED). My question is, will the country be run this way?
Kya atyachar, kya anachar chal raha hai? BJP is playing a dirty game in the name of ED raids on opposition leaders across the country ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. BJP says it wants ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’, but actually means ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Satyanash’.
They are changing laws at any time. They are calling standing committee meetings whenever they want. They are suddenly saying to change the name ‘India’ and start using ‘Bharat’. Why are you so scared? What will you do if we start using the name Bharat instead of India or with India?
I respect the chair. I am not quoting anybody. I am only questioning the BJP. Aur kitne ko jail mein bharenge? Sabko jail mein bharke dekho. Fir bhi tumko vote nahi milega (How many more will you send to jail? Send everyone to jail, even then you will not get votes).
Fight us politically. But don’t be a pathological liar. I respect the judiciary. But there are some lower courts. Instruction is coming from the PM’s house. Kya karega, transfer kar dega. Jisko chief justice banna hai, nahi banayega (What to do? They will transfer you. Instruction is coming on who should be chief justice or who should not be).
We will launch agitations if plaques without Tagore’s name continue to remain in Santiniketan. Tagore built Visva-Bharati, yet there is no mention of him on the plaques on the university getting the UNESCO World Heritage status.
