“Democracy in Jail…” Mamata Banerjee vows to fight back as ‘Royal Bengal Tiger’, calls Modi’s guarantee is to put opposition in jail

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly threatening action against opposition leaders post June 4 results. The chief minister was speaking at a public rally in Bankura on Monday. “I respect the chair of the Prime Minister and I wish him good health but it doesn’t suit the chair when he threatens to put leaders in jail one by one after June 4 (sabko chun chun ke jail me bharunga). How many more leaders you want to arrest. The country has become a jail. Democracy has become a jail now”, said Mamata Banerjee as she vowed to fight back. 

Raking up the arrest of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in January and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in March, Trinamool Congress supremo called it BJP’s attempt to destroy democracy. “If you are so confident of victory then why are you arresting leaders”, she asked. She also added that she has spoken to Kalpana Soren, wife of jailed Hemant Soren on Sunday and affirmed that such arrests will not deter the opposition battle while reiterating her commitment to INDIA alliance outside Bengal. 

Two days since the arrest of two TMC leaders from East Midnapore by NIA in connection with a 2022 blast in which 3 people were killed, TMC has upped the ante, calling it a conspiracy that BJP has allegedly hatched along with central agency National Investigation Agency to stoke trouble ahead of polls. Mamata Banerjee termed it an unholy nexus. “NIA-CBI are BJP’s bhai bhai (brothers) and so are Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax”, thundered Banerjee. 

During an election rally on Sunday, PM Modi while justifying actions of central agencies against the ‘corrupt’, he further announced that the agencies would expedite investigation against corrupt leaders after June 4, alluding to the counting day of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. PM Modi had alleged corruption in the rank and file of Mamata Banerjee government and party. 

"PM Modi will put everyone inside jail. I suggest you make the new parliament a jail. Only Modi babu will live outside…the law and order is a state subject. Do I can not take action against BJP leaders, but I never say such things to threaten people. Try these antics and roaring speeches to boost the morale of your party cadres as it might act as oxygen for them. But for democracy and the country, this is like carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Remember if you know how to threat, then we also know how to roar like Royal Bengal Tiger” Mamata Banerjee said.