TMC asks BJP to clarify Amit Shah's 'links' with Sahara

The party unleashes counter-attack on BJP and says the saffron party cannot counter Mamata Banerjee in Bengal

Rally and counter rallies are common phenomenon of Bengal politics. The Trinamool Congrees (TMC) on Monday, in a show of strength, organised a rally in which the TMC leaders said that the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) was not capable of posing a challenge to the party, hence indulging in smear campaign against Mamata Banerjee.

Yesterday, BJP national president Amit Shah dared Mamata to act against the culprits of the Saradha scam and said money from the ponzi scheme was used in Bardhamaan blast.

Though Mamata Banerjee chose to skip the rally possibly to highlight the "difference of stature", her nephew Trinamool Youth Congress president Abhishek Banerjee along with other top leaders clearly indicated the party's policy to counter the rise of the saffron brigade and termed the BJP as a non-entity in Bengal.

"Rats should not fight with tigers, credentials of TMC block president is bigger than that of BJP national president," he said.

He took a dig at the BJP state president Rahul Sinha saying that a person who called for a poriborton (change) cannot win corporation election. Earlier in a television interview, Mamata Banerjee said that she did not know who Amit Shah was.

The blue print of countering the BJP was laid down by partry general secretary Partha Chatterjee, when he termed the BJP rally as a 'grand flop show'.

Abhishek on Sunday defended Mamata Banerjee saying that chief minister was open to an impartial probe in to the Saradha scam and the BJP leaders were themselves indulging in corruption.

"The Prime Minister flies in private jets, goes abroad and changes wardrobe frequently whereas the West bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee still lives in a small house, wears hawai chappal and wears a cotton saree. He added, "Sadanand Gowda's assets increased from Rs 9 crore to Rs 20 crore in 3 months after he was made a cabinet minister, BJP should explain this."

The TMC leadership also rubbished the BJP wave saying that their leaders had no connection with Bengal. "Those who come to Bengal as migratory birds, address a rally and go back to Delhi will never win here," Banerjee said.

The other leaders present at the rally also followed the line shown by scion. "Can BJP leaders name the districts of the state, instead of Bhag Mamata Bhag it will be Bhag BJP Bhag in the upcoming polls," said national secretary Mukul Roy.

Meanwhile, the TMC MPs staged a protest outside parliament demanding a clarification of Amit Shah's links with the Sahara group. "In a raid by CBI, from Sahara's office a red diary was recovered in which Amit Shah's name is mentioned directly," said TMC MP Sudip Bandopadhy.