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News Desk: At an election rally in Nandigram on Tuesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee warned her arch rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of not to play the religion card with her. She also took a dig at her party’s former member Suvendu Adhikari.
She said “I heard some people are calling me an outsider in Nandigram. I am amazed. I was born and brought up in the neighbouring Birbhum district, and the person who is calling me an outsider was also not born here. Today I have become an outsider, and those coming from Gujarat have become insiders in Bengal. I have taken a house in Nandigram for one year. I will keep coming every three months. Later, I’ll stay on. I will keep my word. When the movement was on in Nandigram and there was Kali Puja at home, I did not go home. I stayed here to help the people. On 14 March 2007, when the firing took place, I was here… trying to enter Nandigram… I did not go away. The Governor called me. He said, ‘Leave the spot. They will throw petrol bombs at you. They will try to kill you’. The next day Anisur brought me here on his motorbike. I walked and reached Tamluk hospital. The CPM never imagined that I could do this”
She added “Some people are talking about 70:30 ratio (of Hindu-Muslim population). Those doing that are insulting the sacred Nandigram movement which people of both communities fought together. People of Nandigram will make BJP ”April fool” on April 1 when polling is held”
She further added “I am a Hindu girl too. Don’t play the Hindu card with me. Tell me, do you know how to be a good Hindu? After reciting long passages of hymns to Goddess Durga, she questioned “Do you want to play this game? I have shown you that I know the mantras to Goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kali and Durga. It is not the same as you do, memorising some lines before the election s and spewing them at meetings”
