KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday dared the BJP to have her arrested, even as she dubbed the allegations of a rise in assets of her and her relatives exponentially in the last few years as "baseless".
Claiming that central agencies and "ill-gotten money of the BJP" are being used to dislodge elected state governments run by parties opposed to the saffron camp, the Trinamool Congress supremo vowed to defeat the BJP in the next Lok Sabha polls.
She slammed the opposition for allegedly unleashing a malicious campaign against her and her party leaders following the arrest of two senior leaders by the ED and CBI in different cases, Banerjee said had she not been in politics, she would have asked her people to tear off the tongues of those liars.
Addressing a rally of her party's student wing, Banerjee said a malicious campaign has been unleashed against senior TMC leaders such as Abhishek Banerjee, Firhad Hakim and herself.
"Someone told me they have filed a case against me, saying the assets of Mamata Banerjee and her family members have exponentially increased in the past few years. All my relatives have nuclear families, and we only celebrate festivals together. My mother was my only responsibility," she said.
Alleging an exponential rise in the assets of relatives of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in recent years, a PIL filed before the Calcutta High Court on Monday sought an investigation into it by a central agency.
"Why are they lodging a case here? I would urge them to approach the international court as the BJP might interfere in the cases," she said adding that she earns her living by writing books."
"For the past 12 years, I have forfeited a monthly pension of Rs 1 lakh as a former parliamentarian. Even as a chief minister, I have given up the monthly remuneration. I pay for my own cup of tea and rarely use government vehicles. I stay at my own place, which was given to me by my father," she said.
Alleging that the BJP is trying to smear her image and dragging her name in every matter, she dared the party to have her arrested.
"If they arrest me, they will understand their mistake," the TMC boss said.
She slammed the opposition, especially the BJP, for allegedly unleashing a malicious campaign against her and her party leaders following the arrest of senior leaders Partha Chatterjee and Anubrata Mondal by central agencies in different cases.
"The BJP is branding everybody as thieves. They are campaigning as if all of us in the TMC are thieves and only the BJP and its leaders are holy. Had I not been in politics, I would have asked my party leaders to tear out their tongues," she said.
Apprehending that Hakim, a senior minister, might be arrested as the central agencies recently summoned him, the TMC supremo said, "If he is arrested, rest assured that it will be a fake case, just to harass him."
If Partha Chatterjee has committed a crime, he will be punished accordingly, she said.
The TMC chief asked, "Partha Chatterjee, Anubrata Mondal, Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, Abhishek Banerjee, and now Mamata Banerjee are these people thieves and only the BJP is honest?"
Condemning "media trial" over the arrests, Banerjee said that Chatterjee was arrested after the party's mega rally on July 21 and she apprehends that "something big" will happen after Monday's student body rally.
Referring to senior IPS officers of West Bengal cadre being summoned to New Delhi in a cattle smuggling case, she warned of launching a probe against central government officials posted in the state.
"We respect CBI and ED officials who perform their job honestly. But we too have corruption cases against some CBI, ED, CRPF and BSF officials. If you call our police officials and harass them, we, too, will take legal action against your officers," she said.
The feisty TMC boss wondered how the BJP has got such huge funds to allegedly topple elected governments in states.
"The BJP is parking money abroad through hawala. The BJP has to be defeated in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls," she said.
On the alleged rape of a woman near the India-West Bengal border by two BSF personnel, she wondered whether such an incident happened due to the Centre's decision to extend the paramilitary force's jurisdiction from 15 km to 50 km in border areas.
The Home Ministry is answerable to this, she said.
Banerjee said TMC's women's wing would conduct a 48-hour-long sit-in here against the release of the convicts of the Bilkis Bano case.
BJP leaders are the biggest beneficiaries of the cattle smuggling case, senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee alleged on Monday.
Addressing a rally in Kolkata, Banerjee took on BCCI secretary Jay Shah for "refusing" to wave the tricolour after India's victory over Pakistan on Sunday, saying either he should apologise or his father Amit Shah should step down as the country's home minister.
"They talk about cattle smuggling scam. It is the BJP leaders who are the biggest beneficiary of this scam. The ill-gotten money was transferred to New Delhi to BJP leaders," he alleged.
"Why doesn't Amit Shah ask the BSF how the cattle are smuggled? Is the money going to Delhi directly? This is not a cattle scam, this is a scam of the home ministry. The BSF operates under the home ministry. How are cattle smuggled if the BSF is doing its job properly? The Union home minister is answerable to the nation," he claimed.
Banerjee, the national general secretary of TMC who is the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, also targetted Jay Shah after a video clip of him appearing to turn down an offer to wave the national flag after India beat Pakistan in a thrilling cricket match went viral.
"We saw yesterday how after India's victory against Pakistan, the home minister's son, Jay Shah, refused to hold our national flag. And these BJP leaders claim to be the architects of 'Har Ghar Tiranga'," the TMC MP from Diamond Harbour said.
"I want to tell the home minister, if you have respect for our national flag, ask your son to apologise, or resign from your post. The arrogance of Jay Shah needs to be checked. These are the BJP leaders who give us certificates on nationalism. We don't need their certificates," Banerjee said.
Referring to the alleged rape of a woman by two BSF personnel near the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal, he said it was the reflection of "New India" of the BJP.
"This is BJP's 'New India'. BSF and CISF are under the central government. Was the BSF's jurisdiction increased because of this," he questioned.
Banerjee said that after this rally, a few more TMC leaders may be arrested.
"Partha Chatterjee was arrested two days after our July 21 rally. Today we have a mega rally, I think again someone from us might be arrested or summoned," he claimed.
The BJP said that Banerjee's allegations against its leaders are laughable.
"Even a kid would laugh at his statements. How come the home minister is answerable for a crime which is taking place in West Bengal under TMC's rule? These allegations are baseless and reflect the panic that has gripped the TMC," BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.
(With PTI Inputs)