Didi’s pride is making people suffer: PM Modi; Won’t allow Modi to conduct meeting here before election to post pictures on social media: Mamata

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee directed a series of vitriolic attacks at each other at different public meetings in the state today. This was over a meeting on the review of losses caused by the cyclone Fani in West Bengal that had damaged over 5,000 homes and affected several thousands of people. The Prime Minister had called a meeting in West Midnapore’s Kalaikunda this morning.

PM Modi said though he had called a meeting with officers of the state in view of the recent damage caused by Fani, Banerjee had asked her officers to skip it. He said that “Didi’s pride” was causing harm to the people in the state as they did not get benefits of the Centre’s grants, even when it came such a critical situation. The Prime Minister said this at a meeting in East Midnapore’s Tamluk. He added that he had called Mamata Banerjee twice in connection with the cyclone.

Mamata Banerjee, speaking at a public meeting in West Midnapore said that she would not allow Modi to conduct a meeting for the sake of “clicking pictures” and posting them on social media. “The Prime Minister’s tenure is over. Just prior to the elections, I refuse to share the dais with him. Moreover, he came to Bengal today for election meetings, not for this meeting,” she said. “Had he been visiting only for the meeting relating to the cyclone, I would have given it some thought,” she said.

Banerjee said that the elections in Odisha was over and thus the CM there did not have difficulty in attending the PM’s meeting, but in Bengal, the election was on and she could not change her schedule according to the plans of the PM’s public rallies.

At the next public meeting added that the state government would spend the money required to repair the damage caused to people and their homes due to the onslaught of Fani. “I have met him several times in the past as CM seeking funds for damage caused by floods. But not a paisa was given to us,” she said. “Now that the elections are around, he has thought of holding a meeting, that too when he is here only for the election meetings,” she said.

Banerjee said that she was in Kharagpur on the day the cyclone was to make landfall in Bengal. “We had cancelled all election meetings that day, but he continued his election rallies. I was there exactly where the cyclone was to hit so that I could rush to people if they needed me,” she said. “Your tenure has expired,” she added, “We will participate in meetings with the new Prime Minister”, Banerjee said.