The Trinamool has brushed off the allegations made by the BJP against its top leaders.
On the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign tour to West Bengal tomorrow with a rally in Kharagpur, the BJP today launched an attack against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the Narada sting which allegedly shows leaders from her party taking bribes.
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's grandnephew and Ms Banerjee's opponent in the Bhawanipore constituency, Chandra Bose told reporters in Kolkata, "Taking donations over Rs 20,000 in cash is a criminal offence. The CM should first clarify on this and then fight elections. Is this an example of your honesty? You walk with people who have been caught taking money on camera. When George Fernandes was accused of corruption he resigned. Mamata Banerjee should resign."
Mr Bose also attacked Ms Banerjee over her land policy, industrialisation and the law and order situation in the state.
He said, "Land for the Tata Motors factory cannot be returned to farmers. It was nonsensical on part of the TMC to promise to return land to unwilling farmers. Negotiation and persuasion should have taken place and we will welcome the Tatas back to West Bengal."
The Trinamool however brushed off the allegations made by the BJP against its top leaders. "They are a lost party in Bengal. It won't have any impact. Modi campaigned against me earlier and I have had an experience of dealing with him. This state belongs to Mamata Banerjee. She will be Chief Minister as long as she wants," Trinamool Leader in the Lok Sabha, Sudip Bandopadhayay told reporters at a press conference.
Asked about senior party leader Dinesh Trivedi's views on the Narada sting, Mr Bandopadhyay said, "I have spoken to him. Mr Trivedi said he has said that Mamata Banerjee is the most honest leader and Trinamool workers are the most honest workers. He has clarified that his comments were made in a different spirit. We are not bothered about what he has said as his personal opinion. We have also asked him to explain what he had said."
At a panel discussion on Friday, Mr Trivedi had said if he were the party chief he would have asked his party colleagues to still at home till they had "come clean."