On Wednesday June 9, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee disclosed her next political aim and said, “I have only one thing to say: Modi has to be removed from power.” The TMC supremo also met farm leader Rakesh Tikait who leads the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM). Mamata Banerjee’s statement against PM Modi came after she was asked about the role she would like to play in Indian politics.
Background
The Trinamool Congress leader shared her political ambition and took a dig at the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. Her statement came amid the row between her and PM Modi. After battling it out in the election campaign against BJP, the TMC emerged victorious in the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2021. After the victory, the TMC has been smeared with allegations regarding post-poll violence, non-adherence to the Centre and the Narada scam.
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Details
In a statement that may be a foreshadowing to the inevitable political fight of BJP and TMC, the West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said that she will rally all opposition-ruled states that stand for the right of the farmers and eventually, “remove the Narendra Modi government” from ruling. Her statement came after she met with the farmer leaders of the country which included SKM’s Rakesh Tikait and Bharatiya Kisan Union’s Yudhvir Singh.
Showing support towards the farmers and their protest against the farm laws, Banerjee said. “Bulldozing states is not good for the federal structure”. Her support comes a few days after TMC announced that the party will extend its footprints to other states.
Earlier before the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2021, SKM leader Rakesh Tikait had already announced the ‘No Vote for BJP’ where he held meetings and asked people who show support to farmers to not support BJP in the elections.
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“Why is it so difficult to talk to farmers”: CM Banerjee
After the meeting, Banerjee also said that she will continue supporting the farmers’ movement and made a snide remark to the Centre saying, “India is hungrily waiting for policies which help in fighting COVID-19, assist farmers and industry.” Banerjee in the past as well showed support to the agitated farmers and yesterday after the meeting she asked the Centre why it has been difficult to communicate with the farmers. Banerjee also said how the farmers’ protest is not for isolated states like Punjab, Haryana or UP, but for the whole nation.
Her question to the Centre referred to the multiple rounds of the conversations between the Centre and the Farm Leaders. While most of the rounds in the meeting ended in the deadlock with neither sides budging, some rounds were inconclusive as the Centre promised to add amendments to the laws and farmers insisting on the farm laws being completely revoked.
Banerjee’s ongoing row with Centre
Banerjee’s support to the farmers and statement on removing PM Modi from power comes after her row with the Centre. After her landslide victory against BJP, Banerjee has been receiving a lot of flak for not being able to handle the post-poll violence.
She was also in the news for laying a siege in the form of dharna at the CBI headquarters in Calcutta after CBI had moved to arrest certain ministers from her cabinet that were associated in the Narada Scam.
She was again on the receiving end of criticism by opposition for not attending the meeting with PM Modi on the Cyclone Yaas and only meeting him at the airbase as he landed.
“I don’t need permission from Centre”: Farm Leader Rakesh Tikait
After the meeting, farm leader Rakesh Tikait was asked by the media whether he asked permission from the Centre to meet CM Banerjee, to which he replied-
“I met CM and not a party chief. Did I meet the Afghanistan president, for which I had to take the permission of the central government? Does it require a visa to meet a CM?”
He further gave an insight to the farm leaders’ plans and said that the farm leaders will meet all the CMs regarding the state policies.
“Uttarakhand has BJP government and Punjab has Congress government…we will meet them too. We have met Arvind Kejriwal,”
-Tikait shared.
