By IANS,
New Delhi : Austerity is not a new mantra for Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, famous for her cotton jhola, crumpled cotton saris and trademark hawai chappals. But there is more to it than meets the eye.
Expounding on the virtues of minimalism, Mamata pointed out recently that it was the best weapon to destroy opponents, particularly political adversaries.
It is well known that Didi always leads by example, travelling economy class and even paying for snacks while at office. What is not known is that she owes her simple and sober way of life to former prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao who had also given a similar call for austerity in 1992. At that time Mamata was the leader of the youth Congress.
The Trinamool Congress chief pointed out at a function hosted by her colleague, Mukul Roy, that the lessons learnt at that time had stood her in good stead all these years, including in the elections.