The Trinamool says it is good they caught the turncoats before they could impact poll results.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took a page out of history today to hit back at the turncoats from her party who have joined the BJP. In Murshidabad for a political rally ahead of the coming elections, the Chief Minister reminded her audience that it was the place where Bengal's last independent nawab, Siraj-ud Daula, ruled.
"I am here in Murshidabad. Remember this was the first capital of Bengal till Mir Jafar betrayed Siraj-Ud-Daula. Remember the battle of Plassey. Remember Mir Jafar betrayed Siraj-Ud Daula and joined hands with the British," she said in one of her bitterest complaints.
"Bengal has never forgiven traitors like Mir Jafar. Bengal will not forgive traitors who are going to the BJP," she added.
The example, however, was not fortunate. Siraj-ud-Daula had not been able to save his kingdom from the East India Company. In June 1757, he had fought the British troops at a mango grove in Plassey, around 160 km Kolkata and lost, owing to the treachery of Mir Jafar, his Commander-in-Chief.
The Trinamool says it is good they caught these turncoats before they could impact results on the electoral battlefield with their treachery.
Referring to Suvendu Adhikari, Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee had earlier said, "He had plans to join the BJP with 35 MLAs and try and become Chief Minister. You think you are the only smart one and we are fools? He has admitted that he has been in touch with Amit Shah since 2014. We knew that and that's why we didn't trust you."
The Chief Minister and her Trinamool Congress have so far maintained that the turncoats -- whose list begins with her former close aide Mukul Roy -- were a corrupt lot and the party was better off without them.
Highlighting that stance again today, Ms Banerjee today used a colourful Bengali idiom – "Dushtu gorur cheye shunno gowal bhalo" – equivalent to "Better safe than sorry".
"We also have some "naughty cows (dushtu goru)"," she said. "I am happy those who are corrupt have left the party… They have amassed wealth through corruption. That's why they are going to the BJP. It is a washing machine," she said.
Several Trinamool leaders who joined the BJP – including Mukul Roy and Suvendu Adhikari– have had their names embroiled in the Sarada and Narada cases.
"The BJP is a party of rich people, rioters, a party of thieves. They don't help people, they only give 'bhashaan (speeches)'.
Sharpening her 'outsider' attack on the BJP, Mamata Banerjee said, "BJP is not a party of Bengal. It is a party from Gujarat. It perpetrates riots in Delhi. It perpetrates riots in Gujarat. It perpetrates riots in UP. It is the party behind CAA. NRC and NPR. Shame Shame. This is the BJP. They don't think about Hindus or Muslims. They don't think about Sikhs or Christians. They don't think about Jains or Parsis".
"Gujarat will not rule Bengal, People of Bengal will rule Bengal," she added.