Shared stage with Modi for state's development: Mamata

Kolkata, May 15: Refuting the opposition's charges of a bonhomie with the BJP, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday asserted that she had shared stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the sake of the state's development.

Hitting back at a section of the media and the opposition for drawing inferences of her interaction with Modi, the Trinamool Congress chief called for using social networking sites for countering "smear campaign" against her party.

"If I don't go, some people will say I lack courtesy. If I go, you will do Hindu-Muslim politics. There is a limit to everything and all kind of canards," Banerjee said while addressing an event of students' wing of her party.

"And why will I not go, we have given land to IISCO plant and it is a programme relating to the development of the state. Why will I allow others to take away the credit," said Banerjee.

Besides sharing the stage with Modi during the launch of the centre's three social security schemes in Kolkata on May 9, Banerjee was present in Burdwan district's Burnpur where the prime minister inaugurated the upgraded IISCO Steel Plant (ISP) on May 10.

Banerjee also met with Modi at Raj Bavan handing him a memorandum seeking complete waiver of the state's debts.

The opposition Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Congress had charged the BJP and the Trinamool Congress of cosying up to each other to suit mutual political interests.

She also batted for use of social networking sites to reach out to the people.

"Use social networking sites to counter the smear campaign by section of the media and the opposition," said Banerjee as she lambasted a section of media for "hyping petty incidents".

IANS