Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-decibel exchange with Mamata Banerjee is becoming shrill by the day. At a political rally, Banerjee declared on Monday that she did not join in a meeting with PM Modi on cyclone Fani, while he was campaigning, as she does not consider him the country’s prime minister. She added in her inimitable style that she “does not want to share the dais with an expiry-PM”. ‘‘He landed at Kalaikunda and wanted to hold a meeting on cyclone damage. But why should we attend? He is coming for electioneering and wants to hold an official meeting, and then he will say that he had called but the State did not respond. Please be informed that during election, I will not share any platform with him. I do not consider him prime minister right now. When the new prime minister comes, we will speak with that person,” she added.
Continuing her attack on PM Modi, Banerjee also wondered how he could take care of Indians, if he could not take care of his wife. “If I am a toll collector then what are you? From head to toe you are filled with people’s blood. When asked what does his (PM) wife do and where does she stay, he (PM) said he doesn’t know. He can’t take care of his wife, he will take care of Indians?” she said during a rally in Bishnupur, reports India Today.com PM Modi had said he had tried to dial the Chief Minister before the cyclone hit as he was ‘‘worried” about the people of Bengal. “I tried to talk to Mamata Didi before the cyclone hit, but such was her arrogance that she refused to talk to me,” said the Prime Minister.
The controversy was ignited by media reports that Banerjee was upset that the Prime Minister had called Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and not her to get feedback on the state’s preparedness ahead of the cyclone. PM Modi also gave Orissa CM a pat on the back for his handling of the cyclone. On Sunday, officials from the Prime Minister’s Office said they had tried twice to connect the two leaders. When they called up the Chief Minister’s Office about the possibility of a review meeting, as in the case of Odisha, the state officials declined, saying they were busy campaigning for the election.
