lok-sabha-elections

Updated: May 14, 2019 07:54 IST

In another low in coarsening political discourse in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, BJP president Amit Shah on Monday described West Bengal as “kangal Bangla”. Hitting back with an equally disturbing comment, Trinamool spokesperson Derek O’Brien called the BJP president “pukeworthy”.

Derek O’ Brien, also a Rajya Sabha member, questioned Shah’s “audacity” to use such a term for the state and said that the people of Bengal will “give him and Modi a fitting reply in Phase 7”. In the seventh and last phase of election on May 19, polling will be held in nine parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal.

Addressing a rally at Canning in Joynagar Lok Sabha constituency, Shah said Banerjee has turned “sonar Bangla (golden Bengal) into kangal (pauper) Bangla”.

Shah also promised that he will “restore Bengal’s glory”.

The BJP leader also dared West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to arrest him for chanting “Jai Shri Ram”, claiming that the TMC supremo can stop him from attending rallies in Bengal, but won’t be able to stop BJP’s victory march in the state.

“Mamata didi gets angry if someone chants ‘Jai Shri Ram’. I am chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ here today, if you (Mamata) have the guts, arrest me. I will be in Kolkata tomorrow.”

A video clip showing Banerjee fuming at people for chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in Ghatal Lok Sabha seat went viral on social media recently.