West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday took exception to remarks made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to uproot her government. “I also know Hindi. If I say the same words… uproot and throw away, will you feel good,” she asked.
Also read: Death knell for Mamata govt has been sounded: Amit Shah
While the Chief Minister did not refer to Mr. Shah, her remarks were clearly aimed at the Minister, who said earlier in the day “death knell of the Mamata Banerjee government has been sounded”.
Ms. Banerjee urged Mr. Shah to maintain dignity in political discourse. She said that nobody should cross the ‘Lakshman rekha’. There were concerted attempts to defame West Bengal. “West Bengal has a special sense of pride. If some outsiders come and target our sense of pride, we will not accept it.”
Targeting the BJP, she stated that in the name of protests, one particular party had regularly violated the laws related to the COVID-19 pandemic and had spread the infection.
The Chief Minister, who was chairing an administrative meeting at the State Secretariat, said attempts were being made to intimidate IAS and IPS officers. “These officers have nothing to fear as they work under the State government. It is also important to bear in mind that West Bengal is not outside the country.” She asserted that she did not interfere in the affairs of the Centre. The Centre should not interfere in the affairs of the State, she added.
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Appointment order
In another development, the State government gave appointment to Geeta Mahali, a tribal community person from north Bengal in whose house Mr. Shah had lunch in 2017, as a Home Guard.
The appointment comes on the day when the Home Minister had lunch at the house of a member of a tribal community in Birbhum district.
