Derek O'Brien said the voters should engage in conversation on poll issues (File)
BJP president Amit Shah's attacks in West Bengal on the ruling Trinamool Congress today, prompted a counter-attack from the party. Trinamool leader Derek O'Brien, in a veiled reference, called Mr Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi "terrible twins" on Twitter, adding that people of the country must ignore their "divisive statements".
"Dear Young India (& not so young India) Terrible Twins (Jumla Jodi) deliberately make communally divisive statements everyday. Suggestion: Ignore. Stay on main conversation: jobs,farmer distress, under-performing economy & destruction of institutions. Save the Constitution," he tweeted.
Amit Shah addressed two rallies in West Bengal today and said his party would bring citizen's list for the entire country.
"We will ensure implementation of NRC (National Register of Citizens) in the entire country. BJP will remove every single infiltrator from the country. All Buddhists and Hindu refugees will be identified and Indian nationality will be given to them," he was quoted by PTI as saying in Darjeeling.
"The illegal immigrants are like termites. They are eating the grain that should go to the poor, they are taking our jobs. The T of TMC stands for Tushtikaran, (appeasement), M for Mafia and C for Chitfunds," Mr Shah added.
Assam's citizen list, which left lakhs out, and the citizenship (amendment) bill are massive poll issues in the Northeast and West Bengal. The two issues frequently find mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mamata Banerjee's speeches.
Last week, Ms Banerjee said the NRC and the Citizenship Bill were "two lollipops" being doled out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "fool" the people of Assam.
Today, at a rally, she said the country's independence and its Constitution were under threat in BJP regime.
"They (BJP) ignite fire in Darjeeling during polls. People in Delhi (BJP) instigate problems here the more the problems, the better are the party's chances of taking advantage of the situation. BJP does not want any progress in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik," Ms Banerjee said.
With inputs from PTI