Trinamool hits out at BJP, dubs Modi 'NRI'

A day after BJP president Amit Shah vowed to uproot the Trinamool Congress from West Bengal, the state's ruling party Monday hit out at the BJP and termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi an "NRI".

Countering Shah's Sunday rally in the city, Trinamool parliamentarian and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee described the BJP as the "Bharatiya Joker Party".

He hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief, saying "migratory birds from Delhi will not win in Bengal".

"India does not need a foreign minister, because our prime minister himself spends five out of six months abroad. Our prime minister flies in private jets, goes abroad and changes wardrobe frequently. Mamata Banerjee still lives in a small house, wears hawai chappal and wears a Tant saree," Abhishek said at a rally organised by the Trinamool Youth Congress.

"Those who come to Bengal as migratory birds, address a rally and go back to Delhi will never win here," he said, in an obvious reference to Shah.

The BJP chief Sunday launched a scathing attack on Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of shielding the Saradha scamsters and those involved in the Oct 2 Burdwan blast.

"The BJP is Bharatiya Joker Party. They know they cannot counter Mamata Banerjee democratically. The people of Bengal want peace and prosperity. There have been riots across India after the BJP came to power. They will never succeed in Bengal," said Abhishek, the Lok Sabha member from Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district.

Accusing the Modi government of undermining Bengal's financial needs, Abhishek claimed the investigation in the multi-crore rupee Saradha scam was biased.

"The BJP has no issues to fight the Trinamool, and so they are continuously talking of Saradha. If there is unbiased investigation into the Saradha scam, Mamata Banerjee will support it," he said.

Trinamool secretary general Partha Chatterjee also hit out at Modi and advised the BJP to concentrate on Delhi instead of Bengal.

"Our prime minister only appears for photo-ops with brooms in hand. The BJP should concentrate on Delhi instead of Bengal," he said.