Mamata Banerjee said the BJP is a "cheatingbaaz" party, which can do anything for politics.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of "spewing lies" during his visit to Bengal, citing his claims that the state has been going downhill in terms of industry and development. The Union minister, she said, has contradicted the data of his own government, which puts Bengal in the number one position in MSME (Medium and Small Enterprises) and the construction of rural roads.
"Amit Shah has told a bunch lies yesterday. He claimed our state is 'zero' in industry but we are number one in the MSME sector. He claimed we couldn't build rural roads. But we are number one in that. This is the Government of India's information," the Chief Minister said.
The BJP, she said, is a "cheatingbaaz" party, which can do anything for politics. ''You are the home minister. It doesn't suit you to tell lies,'' the Chief Minister said.
Yesterday, Ms Banerjee's close aide and party spokesperson Derek O'Brien had taken on Amit Shah over lies told during his weekend visit to the state.
He had tweeted a claim versus fact list, which that started with Mr Shah's claim that Ms Banerjee had joined a new party after being expelled the Congress. Ms Banerjee had founded a new party after walking out of the Congress, Mr O'Brien had pointed out.
What stung the Chief Minister most was the Union Home Minister's claim that her government had left the state's economy in shreds.
Mr Shah, who was on a two-day visit to the state over the weekend, had cited data from '50s and '60s to attack the Trinamool Congress, which came to power in the state in 2011 after 35 years of Left rule.
"After independence, Bengal would contribute one-third to the GDP. It has fallen ever since. Bengal's contribution to the Industrial Production right after independence was 30 per cent. Now at 3.5 per cent," Mr Shah said.
"In 1960, Bengal was one of the richest states in the country. In 1950s, Bengal produced 70 per cent pharma products. Now it is around 7 per cent. Bengal jute industries that gave employment to many, are shut," he said, adding, "Our sankalp is to make Bengal Shonar Bangla once again," he had said.