By IANS,
Kolkata: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of “shielding the guilty” by continuing to support the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) which was “neck deep in corruption”.
“When in West Bengal, she (Banerjee) says she is against corruption and price rise but the moment she reaches Delhi, she and her party keeps quiet and extends friendship to the UPA. If she was really against corruption she would have withdrawn support,” BJP national president Nitin Gadkari said addressing a rally here.
Accusing Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress of having a dual character, Gadkari said: “When you can speak against the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in Bengal why can’t you do the same with the Congress? The Trinamool Congress is as much guilty as the scamsters because it is shielding the guilty.”
He also took a dig at Banerjee by saying that the only “change” West Bengal has witnessed is the change of party.
“Like the CPI-M, Banerjee too has started to cite the excuse of lack of central funds. She will also do nothing for the people of Bengal. She can only make tall promises,” he said.
Describing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as “lifeless and helpless”, the BJP president said he did not deserve to be the PM.
He also criticised the government for allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail, saying it would “kill the already ruined” farmers and small traders.
Stating that chances of a general election in the country was looming large, Gadkari said his party will bag in excess of 200 seats, while the Trinamool and CPI-M will “continue following the Congress as usual”.