New Delhi, February 18 – Union Minister Giriraj Singh launched a sharp attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, accusing her of acting arbitrarily and appeasing a particular community for political gains.
"Mamata Banerjee herself is acting like a Tughlaq. She is not only issuing arbitrary orders but is also oppressing Hindus like Aurangzeb, and with the support of Bangladeshi Muslims, she wants to remain in power. But the Hindus of West Bengal are now awakened, and those who call her a lioness are wrong. She is a traitor," Singh said.
He further alleged, "She encourages intruders from Bangladesh and wants to make West Bengal another Bangladesh… She has made a traitor like Humayun, who is building the Babri mosque. If she hadn't wanted it, then that inauguration wouldn't have taken place, and then she chants Mahadev's name. Mahadev will destroy you because of your misdeeds now."
Singh's remarks came after Banerjee criticised the Election Commission, calling it a "Tughlaqi Commission," and alleging that the poll body was targeting West Bengal to appease the BJP amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in the poll-bound state.
Addressing a press conference, Banerjee said, "The EC has become a 'Tughlaqi Commission' run by a political party," adding, "Bengal is targeted by the Election Commission to satisfy the BJP." Her use of the term "Tughlaqi" was a reference to Delhi Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq, often described as whimsical in his rule.
The Trinamool Congress chief also assured protection to state officials facing action from the poll panel. "If Bengal government officers are penalized by the EC, we will 100 per cent protect them," she said.
Meanwhile, JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad also criticised Banerjee, saying, "People have no expectations from Mamata Banerjee, and her return to power seems unlikely. She is trying to mislead people through irrelevant issues, but she will not succeed. The situation in West Bengal is in anarchy."
This exchange marks an escalation in political rhetoric in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming elections.