“They are playing with blood in Bengal”, PM Modi to TMC; Mamata reminds Manipur and tells PM “you first behave properly”

With months to go for the all important 2024 Lok Sabha election, the political tempers have already started soaring. First the no-confidence showdown and now a face off between PM Modi and CM Mamata Banerjee.

During a public address event meant for Bengal BJP workers, PM Modi lashed out at Trinamool Congress and accused Mamata Banerjee’s party of “playing with blood”. Talking about the recently concluded panchayat elections in the state, PM Modi said TMC had given contract to goons to control and manipulate polls.

"The panchayat elections concluded recently in Bengal. And the nation witnessed the bloodbath by the TMC. First they don’t give time for nomination, then they obstruct BJP workers from filing their nomination. Later if any of the BJP worker manages to fill the form then they will be terrorised. TMC didn’t stop at BJP workers alone, voters and relatives of BJP candidates were also terrorised. They give contract to their extortionists gang to create the atmosphere of fear, intimidate the voters. This is the culture created by TMC in Bengal” said Prime Minister over the virtual meeting.

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee reacted sharply and in no time issued an audio message. She raked up the issue of ongoing turmoil in Manipur while suggesting that PM Modi is accusing the opposition for faults that he had committed. “He wants more people to die. He wants more people to suffer. They want only BJP to survive in India. PM is talking about corruption but he has no moral right. He is surrounded by all the corrupt people and he should better answer about PMCARE funds, Rafale deal. You can fool some people sometime but you can’t fool all the people, all the time. You don’t take action against your own people. Atrocities are committed on women and people of Manipur, on the wrestler” said Mamata Banerjee. She also added that around 17 TMC workers were killed in Bengal during panchayat polls by BJP and their “leadership had fanned the winds of political violence and hatred in the state”.

Urging the BJP workers in Bengal to connect with people and convey the truth on Manipur, PM Modi accused the Opposition alliance INDIA of trying to play politics over “the sensitive issue” and slammed the no-confidence motion as nothing but political posturing without any merit. “They moved the no-confidence motion and later ran away from the parliament. They didn’t wait for the voting fearing that would expose them as who is sticking by whom in that ‘ghamandia’ alliance” said PM Narendra Modi. CM Mamata Banerjee on the other hand defended the alliance INDIA that her party is part of and called the PM remarks baseless and reflection of fear.

Opposition had been demanding PM Modi to speak on the Manipur crisis since the beginning of Monsoon session and eventually had moved the no-confidence motion. On August 10, PM spoke for 132 minutes inside the parliament as a response to no-confidence motion. Out of the 132 minutes, he spoke on Manipur towards the end but accused congress for sowing the seeds of trouble in the entire North East region during their tenure in power. He however had accused opposition of trying to play politics over the issue, reiterated the same position on Saturday once again. Mamata Banerjee has maintained the violence in Manipur is due to the failure of the “double engine government that drives on politics of divide and hatred”, she reiterated the same on Saturday.​