Amit Shah (ANI photo)
KOLKATA: Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday accused West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee of “insulting” migrant workers returning to the state on ‘Shramik Special‘ trains by calling them ‘Corona Express‘.
Hitting back at Amit Shah, the ruling Trinamool Congress said that the saffron party was “hungry for votes” even when Bengal was battling the double whammy of Covid-19 and destruction caused by Cyclone Amphan.
Addressing a virtual rally for Bengal from the national capital, Amit Shah asserted the migrant workers will now ensure the “exit” of the Banerjee government in the 2021 assembly polls.
The Union home minister also attacked the ruling TMC supremo over the “industry of political violence” being run in the state.
Senior TMC leader and state education minister Partha Chatterjee took to Twitter to attack Amit Shah.
“At a time when the state is battling a pandemic and a natural disaster, Amit Shah’s priorities are crystal clear. Bengal, remember the face of this man who is just hungry for your votes and nothing else,” he said.
Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee said Shah’s speech was full of rhetoric and asked why he had been silent on the India-China standoff.
“As usual, the speech of Amit Shah Ji was all rhetoric and no substance. Nonetheless, since he has talked about his dream of seeing ‘EXIT’ of TMC, I would like to ask him one more time – ‘When are the Chinese EXITING our territory’,” Banerjee tweeted with hashtag #BengalrejectsAmitShah.
Earlier, addressing the virtual rally, Amit Shah said: “UP received 1,700 trains, Bihar 1,500. I was stunned when Mamata didi called Shramik Special trains coming to Bengal Corona Express. You insulted the migrants, you rubbed salt into their wounds, and now this Corona Express will lead you to your exit (from power). People will not forget this insult,” he said.
Banerjee had criticised the rail