BJP out to destroy Bengal’s culture: Mamata

Kolkata, May 15 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "champion liar" and accused the BJP of conspiring to destroy the state's culture and heritage.

A day after Bengal Renaissance figure Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's bust was vandalised during BJP President Amit Shah's roadshow here, the political slugfest over it intensified as Modi charged Banerjee with orchestrating the attack on Shah and the Trinamool Congress chief hit back calling him a champion liar.

"Modi is a champion liar. I have seen many Prime Ministers but never seen a liar prime minister like him. Speaking in Bengal, he dares to lie in broad daylight saying Amit Shah was attacked.

"It is them who attacked Bengal's culture, its them who vandalised Vidyasagar's statue," alleged Banerjee while addressing a rally in Agarpara in North 24 Parganas district.

Modi during an election rally in Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency in the state, said the attack on Shah's roadshow in College Street came days after Banerjee vowed to take revenge against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Retaliating to both Modi and Shah's attacks on her over the issue, Banerjee claimed that the BJP was out to destroy Bengal's culture and heritage.

"Bereft of any ideology or culture, the BJP is conspiring to destroy Bengal's culture. It's Bengal which gave India's national anthem and national song," said Banerjee invoking Rabindranath Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

"Their only gameplan is to destroy Bengal's constitution, but we will never allow that," thundered Banerjee.

Reiterating her allegations of the BJP using money and muscle power to vitiate the poll process, Banerjee said despite all its efforts the saffron party will be defeated.

Subsequently, Banerjee held a padyatra from Beliaghata in the metropolis with hundreds of Trinamool supporters deriding Modi-Shah and the BJP for the desecration of the polymath's bust and vowed to avenge it by defeating the BJP in the poll battle.

The much revered Vidyasagar has now become a major issue ahead of the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha polls due on May 19. After his return to Delhi Shah claimed that there were three attacks targeting his road show.

He also accused Banerjee of conspiring to vandalise Vidyasagar's statue in an effort to gain sympathy.

The Trinamool too took the showdown to Delhi with party MP Derek O'Brien at a press conference releasing videos to establish the claim that "goons of Amit Shah orchestrated the attack".

He also said the party will take the videos to the Election Commission.

All Trinamool leaders including Banerjee have made Vidyasagar's image their profile picture on social media platforms -- WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook. They also took out a protest march in north Kolkata while the party took out protest rallies in Hooghly, Howrah, Bankura and West Burdwan districts.