Kolkata, Apr 9: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for claiming that her government failed to attain self-sufficiency in fish production, and accused him of misrepresenting facts.
Addressing a public rally at Agarpara in North 24 Parganas district, she also alleged that people are not allowed to eat non-vegetarian food in BJP-ruled states.
“I heard that today, he (PM) said that there is no fish production in Bengal, while Bihar is producing more and exporting. But you do not allow people to eat fish in Bihar. Here we purchase fish from markets and eat,” the TMC supremo said.
Earlier, Bengal used to import fish from Andhra Pradesh, but that has been stopped, Banerjee said, and urged Modi to keep track of these developments.
“You are uttering whatever your party people are whispering in your ears. You do not allow people to eat fish, eggs and meat in Rajasthan, Bihar, and UP. Shops (selling such items) are being shut down,” Banerjee claimed.
Prime Minister Modi, while delivering his speech at a public rally in Haldia, alleged that the TMC government failed to match fish production with its high demand in the state.
“Bengal imports fish from other states. In the last 15 years, the TMC government has taken no worthwhile step to enhance supply and attain self-sufficiency in fish production,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that the BJP, after coming to power in the state, would make the state self-sufficient in fisheries and the seafood sector.
Banerjee said, “You (the Centre) export meat from here (Bengal). You export beef from here to Oman. If you are allergic to fish and meat, why do you do that?”
“We produce fish in our ponds. Fish is available in every market… People here are free to eat as per their choice. We do not interfere with that. People in BJP-ruled states are not allowed to eat eggs, fish and meat,” she said.
Later, at a rally in Baguihati area in the outskirts of Kolkata, the CM accused the BJP of trying to create a situation “similar to the President’s rule” with the EC’s help.
Referring to Modi’s allegation that Bengal has turned into “a factory of infiltrators,” Banerjee claimed that the Centre had said in Parliament in 2025 that around 2,200 infiltrators are in the country.
“Then how do your leaders talk about lakhs of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas? (It appears) that we are all Rohingyas, and you are the only citizen of this land,” the TMC chief said.
She added that even if the allegation about large-scale infiltration is correct, then guarding the international border is the responsibility of the Centre.
Banerjee asked, “What is the BSF doing? What is your Home Minister Amit Shah doing? Why don’t you ask for resignation of Amit Shah for that?”
Asking Modi “not to cross limits,” the CM said she would then be forced to come out with more facts.
She said, “You say something and do the other thing, you speak lies. Who has forgotten your claims in 2014 that there would be 2 crore jobs. What happened to that? What happened to the claim about Rs 15 lakh entering everyone’s bank account?”
Banerjee accused the Centre of unleashing agencies like ED and CBI on opposition leaders and businessmen close to them.
She claimed Modi is uttering ‘Sonar Bangla’ in a distorted way using a teleprompter in rallies to profess his “fake love”, and is spreading falsehood about Durga Puja celebrations in the state which got an UNESCO tag.
The TMC supremo charged BJP leaders with insulting Bengal’s icons like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Rabindranath Tagore.
“But how can we forget that your people had surrendered to the British and escaped from the country during the freedom movement. That is all about your (RSS and BJP) contribution,” she said.
She alleged that Modi is changing the Constitution, distorting history and believes in the “religion of riots, not in the religion of humanity”.
Banerjee claimed that the poll surveys of some media houses are showing an anti-TMC trend, as those were dictated by the BJP.
She cautioned that after deleting names in the SIR, the BJP will implement the NRC.
The CM claimed that the BJP will be sending their people to influence the counting on December 4.
“First round of counting may indicate that the BJP is leading in some areas. However, the later rounds will turn results overwhelmingly in our favour,” Banerjee said.
She asked people and party activists to be on guard so that any stampede-like situation is averted at her rallies and roadshows.
Banerjee said that because of “an overwhelming crowd response” at a padayatra in Baranagar constituency, a stampede-like situation had occurred.
She also expressed confidence that she will win by a huge margin in Bhabanipur, where she is pitted against BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari.
Banerjee also cautioned people that the BJP will be sending agents to individuals to hand over details of their account numbers for malpractices before the polls.
The TMC supremo alleged that people are being harassed in BJP-ruled states for speaking in Bengali and accused BJP of branding Bengali speakers as infiltrators.
At another rally in Palta in the same district, she alleged that the BJP is paying people Rs 500 each to take part in its rallies.
She alleged, “They (BJP) are getting the Delimitation Bill passed to divide Bengal into three parts.”
