'Speaking like BJP chief, not a PM': Mamata Banerjee's sharp attack and a dare for PM Modi

NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday launched a fiery counterattack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him and his party of politicising national security and undermining the opposition amid the backdrop of 'Operation Sindoor' and the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Banerjee also claimed the Centre named India's armed forces action on Pakistan 'Operation Sindoor' to attract political attention.Reacting sharply to remarks made by PM Modi earlier in the day during a rally in Alipurduar, Banerjee said, "What Modi ji said today, we are not only shocked but also very sad to hear this, when the Opposition is representing the country... In his presence, his minister said that they will do Operation Bengal, like Operation Sindoor."“I challenge them, if they have guts, go into elections tomorrow. We are ready, and Bengal is ready to accept your challenge. But please remember, time is a factor. You must remember the time,” she said. On the role of her party and opposition in India's anti-terror outreach, the TMC chief said, “Our representative Abhishek Banerjee is also in the team, and he is speaking every day against terrorism, against terror." “At such time, Mr Modi is speaking not like the Prime Minister, but as the BJP president, you are criticising a government which is giving full support and defending the country like anything,” she said.Banerjee also accused BJP of trying to deflect attention from governance failures by targeting the opposition with misinformation. “You are accusing the government and blaming the Opposition to politicise things, just like the leader of the BJP Jumla Party. You are doing garbage of lies. They loot the country and scoot. It doesn’t look nice to talk in this manner,” she said.Touching upon the sensitivities around 'Operation Sindoor', Banerjee said, “Though I don’t have any comments regarding Operation Sindoor, please remember, every woman has respect.”Her remarks came hours after PM Modi, addressing a rally in Alipurduar, tore into the TMC government, calling it a"Nirmam Sarkar” (cruel government) and accusing it of fostering violence, corruption, and administrative failure.Earlier in the day, the PM listed five major crises plaguing West Bengal under TMC rule - violence and lawlessness, insecurity among women, youth unemployment, rampant corruption, and what he described as "self-serving politics" robbing the poor of their entitlements.He also condemned the TMC for skipping the recent Niti Aayog meeting, claiming that the state government was more focused on politics than development."First is the crisis of violence and anarchy spreading in the society. Second is the unsafety of our mothers and sisters who are being subjected to heinous crimes. The third crisis is of the extreme despair and rampant unemployment spreading among the youth. The fourth crisis is of the continuously declining trust in the system. The fifth crisis is of the selfish politics of the ruling party, that steals the rights of the poor," he said.