Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday alleged the “obstructionist mindset” of chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her TMC deprived West Bengal of industries and jobs.

He claimed that the TMC supremo hurt people’s self-respect by claiming they are attending BJP rallies after taking money.

The Prime Minister also mocked Banerjee for her frequent criticism of the Electronic Voting Machines and the Election Commission. “She keeps criticising EVM, the EC…If players keep criticising umpires, you should know their “Khela shesh” (the game’s over),” he told an election rally here in Hooghly district.

Referring to the Singur movement of 2006-08 that forced Tata Motors to move out its proposed small car Nano’s production unit from there, Modi said the Trinamul used the place for political purposes and then left the people to fend for themselves.

“Didi and her party’s obstructionist mindset blocked several industrial, infrastructure and connectivity projects. I have never seen a party which takes pride in stopping industries and development. “We all know what happened in neighbouring Singur. They used it for furthering their politics and then left the people in limbo. Today, it has no industries and farmers are in distress,” he said.

Seeking to punch a hole in the TMC’s poll plank of Bengali pride, Modi claimed Banerjee hurt people’s selfrespect by claiming they attend BJP rallies after taking money.

“Didi has got jittery after sensing defeat. That’s why she is criticising everybody and everything, from EC to EVMs. She is abusing me. But while abusing me, she has hurt the selfrespect of the people of Bengal by saying they are taking money to attend our rallies.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday accused the BJP of engineering communal strife in the state to win the Assembly elections.

The TMC chief, while addressing an election rally in Raidighi in South 24 Parganas district, also called upon Muslims not to “fall in the trap of a BJP-aided party from Hyderabad and its Bengal ally that are out to polarise votes.”

Her jibe was aimed at Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM and Abbas Siddiqui’s ISF.

The ISF is fighting the elections in alliance with the CPI(M) and Congress.

The TMC supremo also urged Hindus to be on the guard against the BJP’s attempts to “instigate communal clashes” and called upon them to chase away outsiders sent to foment trouble in their localities.

~With inputs from PTI~