Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee responded sharply to the taunts made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the opposition's 'India' alliance, of which the Trinamool Congress is a key component.
Ms. Banerjee stated that her alliance stands for the country's interests. A few hours later, Mr. Shah appealed to the opposition parties not to support the proposed law by the Aam Aadmi Party that takes away control from Delhi authorities.
He also accused the opposition of supporting violence and expressed confidence that his alliance will win in the national elections next year with a full majority, despite the alliance.
During his speech in the parliament today, Mr. Shah defended the government's bill to overturn the Supreme Court's order on Delhi government's control over officers and urged the opposition parties to be concerned about Delhi's welfare, not just their alliance.
In response, Mamata Banerjee stated that Mr. Shah's statement was correct because Delhi's victory would also mean victory for the India alliance.
"Our alliance is new, and we have a presence across the country. Certainly, we will form an alliance government in Delhi. We have our MPs there. I don't know if he said it knowingly or unknowingly," she said, referring to Amit Shah.
Mamata Banerjee said that the India alliance has a presence throughout the country and it must win to save the nation from "disasters, communal tensions, and unemployment."
She also criticized the BJP on the issue of "Bhagwakaran" (saffronization) and accused them of promoting violence instead of adhering to the constitution.
"They will choose violence and paint everything saffron. It's not that we dislike the saffron color. But if the entire country is saffron, where will other colors go? Saffron is a divine color associated with our deities and sacrifices. If they use it in the context of suffering, people won't accept it," she stated.
Amit Shah participated in the discussion on the Delhi Service Bill in both houses of parliament today and criticized the opposition parties that supported AAP and Kejriwal. Following his Rajya Sabha address, the Delhi Service Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha.
