Kolkata, Aug 26 (IANS) Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a ‘migratory bird’ who comes to the state before elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday lashed out at him for calling her party leaders ‘thieves’.

Addressing a government programme in Burdwan of East Burdwan district, CM Banerjee asked PM Modi to respect her chair as she respect his.

“The Prime Minister should respect my chair as I respect his. I never expected him to call the people of West Bengal ‘thieves’. He has turned a blind eye to the performances of the so-called ‘double-engine’ BJP governments of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar, where corruption is at its highest. Whenever something happens in Bengal, central teams are being sent. Why are such teams not sent to BJP-ruled states where corruption thrives,” CM Banerjee asked.

In his recent visit to West Bengal, PM Modi had slammed the Trinamool Congress over corruption charges against its ministers and leaders.

Criticising PM Modi for coming to Bengal just before elections, CM Banerjee said, “They come here like migratory birds and only come here when there is an election. But our party works for the people of the state round the year.”

Regarding PM Modi’s allegations that Trinamool leaders have amassed central funds meant for welfare schemes in Bengal, CM Banerjee said her administration has satisfactorily replied to all queries of the central government about utilisation of its funds.

“We have answered all your queries, yet you stop funds to us and call West Bengal ‘thief’. They had sent 186 central teams to West Bengal to probe corruption charges and found nothing. How can a student accept getting zero marks after answering all questions? We will not tolerate this insult,” she said.

Meanwhile, CM Banerjee said that West Bengal has 1.5 crore migrants workers from other states who live here without facing any harassment.

“Why are Bengali migrant workers being harassed and attacked in Odisha, Gujarat, Haryana and elsewhere? About 1.5 crore migrant workers from others states live in West Bengal. We don’t attack them. We consider them as our own,” CM Banerjee said.

CM Banerjee also said that global institutions like Harvard, Oxford, Columbia, and San Francisco recognise the contributions of Bengalis for their intellectual ability.

“US President Donald Trump chased away Gujaratis, but places like Harvard, Oxford, Columbia, San Francisco can’t run without Bengalis”, said CM Banerjee.

–IANS

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