Terming Mamata Banerjee as a "nautanki" who was simply seeking attention for petty issues, Bengal BJP Vice President Soumitra Khan on Monday said she was using the Republic Day Parade tableau and Netaji Subash Chandra Bose as "gimmicks" to fool the people of Bengal.
The remarks were made in light of the Bengal Chief Minister filing a PIL in the Calcutta High Court over the rejection of Bengal's tableau from the Republic Day Parade.
"Nautanki Mamata Banerjee does drama in everything. She did the same with Singur youth. Yesterday by blowing a conch shell on the occasion of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's birthday she gimmicked whole of Bengal", said Khan.
"Bengal's tableau will not be included on January 26 for the Republic Day parade. The PIL filed in the Calcutta High Court must have been done by a TMC member. After Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's statue is installed, you will realise what great work Modi has done", he claimed.
Mamata Banerjee's remarks on the recent installation of a grand hologram of Subash Chandra Bose at India Gate in Delhi on Sunday also drew his ire. Banerjee had said that the Centre rejected the Bengal tableau centred around Bose but was building a giant Bose statue.
"Why so allergic to Bengal? You (Centre) rejected Bengal tableau (for Republic Day)...You are making a statue because we pressurised you....The Centre should have respect for freedom fighters. In the statue of Netaji Bose being built in the national capital, you can write the birthday of Netaji, but what about the date of his death? The Centre yet is unable to find out," she said, referring to classified and declassified files ont he actual date and cause of death of the freedom fighter.
Khan pointed out that even when Banerjee was a central minister she had not raised the issues related to Bose that she was raising now.
According to him, Mamata Banerjee has failed the Azad Hind Fauj soldiers by not doing anything for them. "She could have given them a piece of land to survive on. She didn't do that in ten years. Therefore, Mamata Banerjee is all about nautanki", claimed the Bengal BJP Vice President.
The PIL filed by Chief Minister Banerjee is to be heard today.