Mamata dares PM to prove paintings charge, issues defamation notice to Shah

Bengal, Jan 31: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has dared the Prime Minister to prove that she took money for selling her paintings, and sent defamation notice to BJP chief Amit Shah and other leaders over their accusations as she launched a no-holds-barred attack on the rival party.

"Half-educated leaders from Delhi" without having any knowledge about the culture and customs of West Bengal were levelling allegations against her government, Banerjee alleged, hitting back at the BJP a day after its chief Amit Shah at a public meeting in East Midnapore district targeted her government's functioning.

Shah had alleged Banerjee's paintings were bought by tainted chit fund owners for crores of rupees.

Banerjee on Wednesday said that the BJP leaders have no courtesy and her party has issued defamation notice over their "baseless" allegations.

Vowing to continue her fight, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief said she has never bowed to anybody's threats. She alleged the BJP is trying to run parallel governments in states not ruled by it and said that she will happy to see the BJP-led central government "expire politically".

"Modi Babu (Prime Minister Narendra Modi). I can challenge you to prove that I have taken a single penny (using my paintings) in my account.

"You (BJP leaders) talk like a barbarian and have no minimum courtesy. Our party has sent a notice to him yesterday. If needed we will file a defamation suit against him (Amit Shah)," Banerjee said addressing a public distribution programme of the state government here, A TMC minister had Tuesday issued a defamation notice to Shah for his paintings allegations against Banerjee.

"Look at their audacity. How can they state this allegation? I have fought in my entire life since my younger days. I have never bowed down in front of anybody. I am not scared against any form of threat," Banerjee fumed.

She also hit out at BJP leaders for claiming that her government has copied central government schemes and challenged them to prove it.

"You pay like you are paying alms. I do not pay alms," she said.

Refuting Shah's allegations that Durga pujas and Saraswati pujas could not be held in West Bengal, Banerjee said such rumours were spread only to make "Bengalis fight Bengalis" and challenged the BJP to prove its claims.

"They are alleging that Durga pujas and Saraswati pujas are not held here. Thousands of Durga pujas are held across the state and every school organises Saraswati pujas. How dare they make such false allegations? I challenge them to prove it or leave politics. If you can, then I will leave politics," she said.

The West Bengal Chief Minister again alleged that central agencies like the CBI were being used to threaten opposition leaders.

West Bengal has a total of 42 Lok Sabha seats. BJP president Amit Shah has given a target to state unit to win 23 of them. The TMC had won 34 seats in the 2014 general elections.

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)