Mamata 'sticker didi', hijacked central schemes: Modi

Intensifying his attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday termed her "sticker didi" who labelled central welfare schemes as those of her own government.

"The speed-breaker Didi (as Banerjee is popularly called) is also sticker didi. The BJP government at the Centre sends aid for you and Didi just puts her sticker on them. She does not believe in any hard work but just pasting her sticker on those schemes," Modi said at an election rally in Nadia district.

"Be it the free electricity or the cheap ration provided to the poor families in Bengal by the Central government, didi puts her sticker on them and applies 'tolabaji' (extortion) tax on top of them," he alleged.

Modi had previous named Banerjee "speed-breaker Didi" for impeding Bengal's development.

In a dig at Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who is also a Trinamool MP, he claimed that the people of Bengal have understood the ploy of the "aunt and nephew".

The Prime Minister said he has been told that the Bengal's ruling party leaders are trying to impede the work of building concrete houses for the poor in Bengal and said the work under the scheme will gain speed if the Trinamool Congress government is ousted from the state.

He also accused the state government of inconveniencing the people of Bengal by not allowing the national health protection scheme Ayushman Bharat Yojana to be extended to them.

Claiming the first three phases of Lok Sabha polls in Bengal proved that there is massive wave in favour of the BJP here, Modi said Banerjee has become frustrated at thinking about her loss.

"Whatever little hope Didi had has vanished after the first three phases of polling here. Now she is trying to make the last ditch attempt with the help of foreign artistes and paid hooligans. But this time escape is not just difficult but impossible. Because the people of Bengal have also stood up against her along with the BJP activists.

"It is not just Modi but the entire mass of West Bengal has gone against didi in this election. See her frustration... she used to abuse me, but now she is also abusing the Election Commission," he added.

--IANS

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