If Mamata Banerjee is the loudest voice of opposition against Modi, her party workers are trying to ape her by being the loudest voices at the local level. In one such attempt, local TMC leaders were raising their voice of opposition in BJP leader and Junior Minister Babul Supriyo's Parliamentary constituency, Asansol.

In yet another attack that was directed towards the Prime Minister, TMC run Asansol Municipal Corporation has sent out notices to about 40 petrol pumps in Asansol instructing them to pay a display tax if they wanted to exhibit anything on their hoardings.

Interestingly, most petrol pumps in the area have hoardings promoting the Prime Minister's endeavours ranging from the Jandhan Yojna to the current demonetisation drive, featuring Narendra Modi in most of them.

STATEMENT OF MAYOR AND RESPONSE: The Mayor of Asansol, Jitendra TiwaRI said, "There are around 40 petrol pumps which have been notified that if they want to put up any hoarding of any sort, they will have to pay a display tax. The agencies which put up hoardings around the town, complained that they had to pay a display tax, while the petrol pumps did not have to pay any taxes for the hoardings that they put up". "We thank the people who informed us about it, and as a result, we have levied display taxes on the petrol pump hoardings too and asked the petrol pumps to pay the taxes within a week". "We don't have any problem with whoever displays their ads or promotes whatever in the hoarding. They just have to pay a nominal fees in terms of the tax, even if it is the central government". "Now, if the central government wants to fill the town with their hoardings for free, is it viable? Everyone has to follow the laws, whether its the central or the state government. The rules and regulations of the West Bengal Municipal Corporation has to be obeyed by everyone, irrespective of anything." "The hoardings that are put up have nothing to do with us. It is put up by the Indian Oil authorities, and removed at their will. This is Indian Oil's pump and their hoarding. Why would a petrol pump owner do anything about the hoardings?" said Anup Chatterjee, who is a manager at an Indian Oil petrol pump in Asansol.

DIDI VS MODI FACE-OFF

The Didi versus Modi face-off has found new active fronts and no one from either party is backing off from taking a jibe at the other.

Babul Supriyo claimed that it was political vendetta and vengeance on the minds of TMC party leaders rather than focusing on the development of Asansol.

All office bearers of the TMC are finding ways to please the party chief and there is evidently not many better ways to accomplish that than to attack the BJP.

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