Trinamool Amit Mitra launched a three-pronged acronym attack on PM Narendra Modi
Stung by the "speed breaker" stamp that Prime Minister Narendra Modi put on Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress deployed its finance minister Dr Amit Mitra to retaliate.
And Dr Mitra did, with a three-pronged acronym attack.
EDM, BMW and FIU.
"Economy Derailment Master -- EDM, that's what I am calling him, not PM," said Dr Mitra.
"There's been a sharp decline in GDP growth due to the draconian demonetisation and an unprepared GST. An economy that was running along well was suddenly derailed by his whimsical policies," he added.
The second acronym Dr Mitra uses is also acronym for a luxury brand of motor cars. "Bhrashtachar Master of the World," he said and after pause added, "BMW."
"Everyone has heard of Rafale, of the Ahmedabad based company Capita World. But the other big one... Pankaj Mishra, director, Financial Intelligence Unit or FIU. He has said 14 lakh suspicious bank transactions have been discovered by this unit after demonetisation. 14 lakh!" Dr Mitra said.
"Expiry Babu -- as honorable Mamata Banerjee calls him -- is this his laundry service that converts black money into white?" Dr Mitra mocked.
The FIU is a high profile snoop agency of the Finance Ministry. Contents of its latest report appeared in some media on Monday and it says there has been a record 1,400 per cent jump over the past in Suspicious Transaction Report or STRs reported by banks and other financial institutions. Dr Mitra said the news media reports are borne out by facts.
"Before demonetisation, in 2013-14, there were 62,000 STRs. As soon as demonetisation happened, in 2016-17 it jumped to 4.73 lakh. And that's in just one quarter. This year, the finance ministry's own unit has found 14 lakh suspicious transaction reports. This is a scam of a humongous order," he said.
Asked what he would ask the prime minister or the finance minister about the FIU report, Dr Mitra said. "I think there is no question to ask because as I can see the writing on the wall they will not be there to answer these questions as the chair would have been vacated."