'The more BJP talks about INDIA, the more they humiliate our country's name': Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata/IBNS: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday said the more the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) speaks of the newly formed Opposition's alliance 'INDA', the more they will end up humiliating the country's name.
Banerjee said, "The more the BJP talks about INDIA, the more they will trash-talk the name of our country. We will believe that they like the name INDIA even more," Banerjee told reporters in Kolkata.
"I believe Prime Minister Narendra Modi likes the name of our alliance- India. In fact, I think he has even accepted our name. Not just that, even the general public has accepted the name and been very welcoming," she said.
Banerjee said that PM Modi spoke about 'INDIA', as PM Modi is bombarded with questions from the media all the time.
"When the Indian cricket team play, do we call the team with any other name, apart from ‘India, India’? " Banerjee asked.
"It is always ‘Team India’. When we talk about our motherland, we proudly say INDIA," she maintained.
This comes as PM Modi earlier in the day took a dig at 26 opposition parties who have clubbed together to form an anti-BJP front eyeing the 2024 elections.
"I have never seen such directionless opposition. Indian National Congress. East India Company. Indian Mujahideen. Popular Front of India - these are also INDIA. Just using the name INDIA does not mean anything," Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad quoted the PM saying as reported by NDTV.
Banerjee, who visited Governor C V Ananda Bose at Raj Bhawan, said, "As a mark of courtesy, I visited the Governor. Our Assembly Session is set to begin, and even though we don’t have any bills to pass in this session, we do have to conduct these sessions each year as per the law."
"We have, in the earlier sessions, passed the necessary bills. Nonetheless, I met the Governor and apprised him of two finance bills that might come up in the House. We would discuss them when it is brought up in the Assembly," she informed.
"As long as the Governor hasn’t passed a certain bill, we generally do not discuss them in public. It is the decorum we follow," Banerjee mentioned.