Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, while addressing a rally in Tamluk in West Bengal, said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refused to talk to him when he tried to contact on Cyclone Fani.
This comes hours after PM Modi conducted an aerial survey of the districts ravaged by Cyclone Fani in Odisha.
The Prime Minister also wanted to take stock of the situation in West Bengal which also faced the wrath of cyclone Fani and the Centre had written to the state about a review meeting of the PM with state government officials today.
However, according to PMO sources quoted as saying by ANI, the request was denied and the Mamata Banerjee government replied that the officials were busy with election duty and hence the review meeting should not be held.
“Speedbreaker didi has tried to play politics even on Cyclone Fani. I tried to get in touch with Mamata Didi but her arrogance is such that she refused to talk to me, I tried again but she did not get in touch,” the PM said.
Amid this politics of Didi, I assure the people of West Bengal again that the Central Government is standing with the people of West Bengal with full power and is supporting the state government in every way, he said.
PM Modi further accused Mamata of “arresting and jailing those chanting ‘Jai Sri Ram'”.
“Didi is so frustrated these days that she doesn’t even want to talk or hear about God. The situation is such that Didi is arresting and jailing those who are chanting ‘Jai Sri Ram’,” he said.
Appealing to the people to vote for BJP, PM Modi said, “You have given the opportunity to dynasty, Leftist and a government that suppresses people. Give one opportunity to a party that is committed to the development. Your one vote will pressurize Didi. Your one vote will show dynastic parties, Leftist and a tyrannical government their right place”.
On Sunday, the PMO said two attempts were made on Saturday morning from the prime minister’s staff to connect prime minister to the West Bengal Chief Minister on phone.
“The first time, they were told that the CM is on a tour and the call will be returned. On the second occasion too, it was told by the Chief Minister’s office that the call will be returned,” it said.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) had on Sunday claimed that the PMO did not call West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to inquire about the ground situation after Cyclone Fani hit the state on Saturday rather it called the office of state Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi.
The TMC attacked PM Modi, alleging that he did not respect the federal structure of India. It said that even though the PMO had called Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, it did not get in touch with the WB CM, thus “disrespecting” the office of the chief minister.
Parts of West Bengal were severely affected after Cyclone Fani entered Bengal and crossed Kharagpur, with a wind speed at 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, after the aerial inspection, PM Modi held a review meeting on the relief and restoration work with the Odisha government officials. He also announced an additional relief package of Rs 1000 crore for the state which was already promised Rs 381 crore earlier.