Dismissing the Narada tapes as attempts to malign TMC, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today accused the Centre of hatching a "communal and political" conspiracy to stop her party from emerging as a contender against the BJP in national politics.
Banerjee also expressed her doubt over BJP's massive mandate in the just-concluded Uttar Pradesh polls, saying "there is something fishy about it" and felt the BSP should move court and challenge the functioning of EVMs.
Interestingly, Banerjee criticised the BJP but stopped short of making any personal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom she had repeatedly targeted post demonetisation, saying, "I will not say anything personal about the Prime Minister."
"The matter (Narada tapes) is subjudice so it won't be right to make any comment. But I will say this is nothing but a political conspiracy to malign our party. It has no credibility at all," she said in an interview to a news channel.
She added, "It is a communal and political conspiracy by the BJP to stop Trinamool Congress from emerging as a contender against it in national politics."
Talking about the tapes, she questioned, "First of all, why was the video, which was shot in 2014, released just ahead of 2016 polls? Secondly, did any of the leaders or MPs ask for money or bribes in lieu of getting a job done? The answer is no. So how can someone say they have taken bribes?"
Banerjee said there should be a complete inquiry to find out why a journalist went with bundles of notes to meet the politicians.
"I have information that the day when these tapes were released, he (Mathew Samuel) had made several calls to Dubai. What is the source of money, that has to be investigated," she said.
Asked about reports of her party MP K D Singh funding the entire sting operation, she said, "K D Singh had relations with the BJP for running his own business. I thought he was a nice man with good credentials. But nominating K D Singh as a Rajya Sabha MP was the biggest mistake. At times you learn lessons from your mistakes."
Incidentally, the Kolkata Police has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe a case against Alchemist group, a company owned by Singh.
Accusing the BJP of carrying out a "malicious propaganda" about minority appeasement, Banerjee said she did not need lecture on Hinduism from the saffron party.
"We do not need lectures from the BJP on Hinduism. I organise Kali Puja at my home every year. They paint all Muslims as ISI agents but are themselves engaging religious extremism. Killing chicken, goat or other animals is okay but eating beef is not? Who are they to decide who will eat what?," she said, amid a massive crackdown on illegal meat shops and slaughterhouses in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh.
The Chief Minister claimed that religious intolerance was surely on the rise in the country.
Further alleging that the BJP was using central agencies to intimidate political opponents, Banerjee said, "The Centre is using dirty tricks to corner TMC in national politics".
"The BJP is thinking that as they have won UP they will
have a cakewalk in 2019. But they are wrong. Whoever is trying to raise voice against the Centre is being targeted and threatened.
As I have raised my voice against demonetisation and autocratic policies, two of my MPs have been arrested by the CBI and are languishing in jails for the last two and a half months," she alleged.
Banerjee said the political scenario at the national stage will change soon if opposition parties like SP, BSP forget their differences and unite against BJP.
"If BSP and SP unite in 2019, they will win at least 50-55 seats out of 80 (Lok Sabha seats in UP)," the TMC supremo suggested.
If the BJP tries to stop the TMC in Bengal, the party will eye other parts of India to expand its base.
"As because we have the potential to play a decisive factor after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, that is why they are trying to corner us in national politics. Their policy is whoever has the potential to emerge as a competitor, destroy them either by hook or by crook," she said apprehending harassment of party leaders at the hands of CBI in the coming days.
On UP election, she said, "How come without doing anything and with the negative impact of demonetisation they got more than 300 seats? There is something seriously wrong and fishy about it. I have seen Mayawati (of BSP) has raised doubts about EVMs, I think they still have the opportunity to challenge the functioning of EVMs in courts."
While talking about RSS resolution regarding Bengal expressing concern about "decline" in Hindu population, Banerjee said, "These are nothing but expressions of frustration as they have failed to expand base in Bengal."
The RSS earlier this week had adopted a resolution accusing the Mamata Banerjee government of encouraging "jehadi" groups and "anti-national" elements in West Bengal due to what it called TMC's "Muslim vote bank politics".
Regarding the presidential election, Banerjee said, "I
don't want to talk about it. Pranab Mukherjee may again be elected as president, L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Sumitra Mahajan may also become president. We will decide when time comes after discussing with the party."
The Chief Minister also made an appeal to the people of civil society to hit the streets against "hooliganism and intolerance".
"Bengal is a land of peace and unity. Who is anyone to decide what I will eat, watch or read?," she said.
She called upon the intelligentsia of the state to rise in protest against "growing intolerance" from a section of the people as she stressed that "there is no place for intolerance".
"Everything has its limit. Hooliganism is not the last word. People should have patience to deal with such cases in cool mind... Which can't be resolved through intolerance.
"Something happened... Some people ransacked the establishment without trying to resolve the issue through discussion...This can't be tolerated. We must rise against this," she said.
"The number of complaints is growing. There should be place for making complaints. Punishments should be there if complaints are found true. Also punishments should be there against those making fake complaints," the chief minister said.
Rejecting the contention of a section of people that "the existence of Hindus in Bengal is at stake", Banerjee said, "These people are spreading a false propaganda. People of all religious faiths coexist in Bengal amid peace and harmony. There is no ill feeling or hatred among them."
She claimed that only a section of people are trying to reap dividend by creating division between people on religious ground.
"We will not allow this to happen in this state," Banerjee said.
