Mamata a ‘seasoned scamster’: Tripura CM

Kolkata, Jan 29 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb on Tuesday termed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as a "seasoned scamster" and claimed people of the state will give her a befitting reply in the coming general election.

"You (Banerjee) have done more scams than the number of jobs you have provided in Bengal. If people's experience in such scams can be measured, you will be right on top of the list. I do not want such experience. I am a new leader. I am trying run the government in a new manner with the help of people," Deb said while addressing a BJP rally in West Bengal's Hoogly district.

"Bengal is not scared of violence. They drove away the British rulers who ruled India for 200 years, Didi is ruling here for just seven years. They will give her a befitting reply in the 2019 polls," he said.

Flaying Banerjee's government for violence and deaths during the Bengal rural polls last year, Deb, also BJP's Tripura President, claimed that not a single political murder took place in Tripura in the last 10 months under his government.

"As many as 70 political activists were killed during the rural body election in Bengal. There have also been rural body elections in Tripura, but not a single activist from the opposition was attacked," he said.

"There has not been a single political murder in Tripura in the last 10 months. If Didi (Banerjee) can prove otherwise, I will resign from the post of the Chief Minister," he said.

"My government is barely 10 months old, yet I am able to provide 10 per cent reservation for women in the home department in Tripura. What have you done for the women of your state?" he asked.

Deb also termed Banerjee's government to be a "xerox copy" of the erstwhile communist party government in Bengal and said people of the state will throw away the photocopied government and welcome the BJP's government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.