Mamata Banerjee accused BJP and central agencies of selectively targeting Trinamool leaders
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee offered lessons for her party leaders who face corruption allegations.
After the arrest of Partha Chatterjee, who was removed from the party and sacked as a minister, the Trinamool Congress is trying to correct its image before the panchayat polls.
Another MLA, Manik Bhattacharya, has been arrested in the alleged teachers' recruitment scam.
"BJP is spending money and circulating fake videos on social networks. They are spreading lies. There are about 46 to 48 videos. In these fake videos, they are constantly abusing the Trinamool Congress. They have no other work. I want to tell you clearly. The Trinamool Congress is a party of the soil. One or two people can make mistakes. That does not mean everyone is doing wrong," Ms Banerjee said.
"I want to ask my mothers and sisters here, are your five children all the same? One of them can go a little astray. He has to be corrected. I want those who have made mistakes to reform themselves. Clearing and correcting mistakes is our dharma. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose spoke about the right to make blunders. That's also a right. And those mistakes have to be resolved," Ms Banerjee said.
"...I have been saying this for the last seven to eight years, take only as much as you need. Sometimes when I am in bed, I think. I have a bed of my own. I have a room. I am sleeping. If I die tomorrow, who will look after this room? There is no one to watch over it. That is the situation. So, what will happen? The value this money brings is meaningless," the Chief Minister said.
"If you are greedy and you make money, the person you keep it with will steal it. If you are greedy and you make money, it brings you disrepute in society," the Chief Minister told party supporters at a rally in Krishnanagar in Nadia district.
Accusing the BJP of being the most corrupt, Ms Banerjee said, "The BJP does this the most. In every election, they spend thousands of crores. Where does that money come from? Because there are elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, you have opened bonds again. All parties take bonds. Because that is allowed according to the law. But the point is when you have to face election, you are raising thousands of crores and using agencies to intimidate others."
Ms Banerjee also accused the BJP and central agencies of selectively targeting Trinamool leaders. "In the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh, how many people were arrested, I want to know. I want to know if the education minister has been arrested?" she said.