Kolkata:
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee went veggie shopping in Bhabanipur this evening, on way back from a rally. While the Chief Minister is know to visit the vegetable market of her constituency once in a while, the timing of this trip – days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made headlines with his ‘jhalmuri’ break – was not lost on anyone.
The 71-year-old Chief Minister was seen going for healthy options, even throwing a bunch of fruits into her shopping basket.
On a day PM Modi held a roadshow in Hoogly and North 24 Parganas, Banerjee held a footmarch in her constituency, where the BJP has fielded her former aide Suvendu Adhikari, who is now the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly and a most vocal political rival.
Her little procession — featuring ‘dhak’ (traditional drum) and the traditional ‘chou dance’ of Purulia — walked through the old neighbourhood amid the strains of the song “Jotoi Koro Hamla Abar Jitbe Bangla (No matter how much you attack, Bengal will triumph)”.
Amid shouts of ‘Didi Didi’, she shook hands, accepted garlands from people, and stopped her security personnel from shooing away those who flocked to touch her feet.
“We must all live together, and all the citizens of this area must get good facilities. We have built many temples. We cannot build mosques, but we have made burial grounds. A large temple is being built for our Jain community. St. Xavier’s College, Bhawaripore Education Society College, we’ve made it a university and have even given land for it. We’ve established an ISKCON temple, a Jagannath Dham, and an Islamia Hospital,” she added.
PM Modi, meanwhile, labelled the state government’s tenure a “Jungle Raj”, while addressing a rally in Bongaon.
“The women of Bengal are the primary victims of Trinamool’s ‘Jungle Raj’. They have been subjected to the greatest betrayal… Under the TMC’s ‘Jungle Raj’, young women are going missing. After May 4, the BJP government will hunt down every single goon and rapist to hold them accountable,” he said.