Whether it is the BJP, Congress or Aam Aadmi Party, dadagiri from Delhi simply cannot be tolerated, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday calling for greater unity and a strong union of states with a strong federal structure.
Banerjee lashed out at her critics who have accused the Trinamool Congress of trying to split the opposition vote in order to favour the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the 2022 state assembly polls.
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“Delhi’s dadagiri has to stop. Goa should stand on its own feet and we will help it fight. We will make a system, mechanism (for it),” Banerjee said.
When asked which party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress or the Aam Aadmi Party, was the target of her dadagiri barb, Banerjee said: “It is for everyone, whoever does dadagiri.”
Banerjee was addressing a press conference in Panaji on Friday, her first since her party decided to contest the upcoming Goa elections. She also lashed out at the culture where directives to run states emanate from Delhi.
“It is not that a laddoo will come from Delhi and Delhi laddoo, Goa will run,” she said.
When asked about accusations of the TMC emerging as a party which will split the opposition vote and help the BJP win the Goa polls, Banerjee said: “Do you think that only when TMC comes, it will divide the votes? When other parties come you don’t ask this question to them? Ask them the question this time, you have contested so many times, let Trinamool Congress contest this time, we will help everybody”.
“We don’t want to divide the vote. But don’t ask me the question that there will be any feudal landlord-giri, dadagiri that only Delhi people will contest the election, no other people. That is not on,” she said.
She said that the TMC’s state unit would take all decisions related to Goa affairs.
“Local party will (have a) say. Only insiders, we trust insiders. They will make policy, they will decide everything. We can discuss, we can consult, we can counsel, we can help. It is to be decided together, I cannot tell it right now,” Banerjee added.
Banerjee called for a strong union of states and a proper federal framework.
“We want to see a strong union of states, states should be self sufficient, federal structure should be strong,” she said.
Banerjee refused to commit to questions related to the TMC looking for an alliance for the upcoming polls or whether the party had decided on a chief ministerial face.
“We discussed this matter so many times for so many elections, but no result finally came out. Let us stand in our own way. I cannot discuss everything in detail in this meeting now. It depends on (the) situation and everything and we have to discuss it with local leaders. It is a collective decision. It is not an individual decision,” she said.
