File photo of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
Mamata Banerjee will not respond to BJP chief Amit Shah's acerbic attack on her at a Kolkata rally yesterday. She has cancelled an appearance at a rally being held today in the city by her nephew and party lawmaker Abhishek Banerjee.
Abhishek Banerjee said his aunt, who is the chief minister of West Bengal, does not want to rebut Mr Shah as she believes "he is not of her stature."
In a public speech at Kolkata's Victoria House on Sunday, Mr Shah declared war on Ms Banerjee, making many digs and allegations.
"Didi if you can hear and if you can see, please see that I am Amit Shah, a very small worker of the BJP. I have come to Bengal to uproot the corrupt TMC regime from the state," Mr Shah declared. The BJP chief said "Mamataji wanted to know who Amit Shah is."
Mr Shah accused the Bengal Chief Minister of creating hurdles in the way of an investigation by the National Investigation Agency or NIA into the recent Burdwan blast, alleging that Ms Banerjee was shielding leaders of her party, the Trinamool Congress.
"Saradha Chit Fund money was used in the Burdwan blast. The NIA is not being allowed to probe the blast properly. Hurdles are being created. It is being done in order to save TMC leaders who are involved in the blast," Mr Shah alleged.
He announced the BJP's intent to win the West Bengal Assembly elections due in 2016, declaring that after the BJP's victory in national elections this year, "It is the slogan of Narendra Modi to make West Bengal free from TMC regime...the victory of the BJP and Narendra Modi will be complete only after it forms government in Bengal."
The BJP president spoke at Victoria House, where Ms Banerjee holds an annual rally in July after days of tussle with the Bengal chief minister over the venue. The state police had refused permission for the rally and the BJP had to move the High Court to get permission for it.