Can forget everyone's name but will never forget Nandigram: Mamata

The Nandigram assembly seat turned out to be the centre of attraction for voters in Bengal ahead of the high-octane political battle this year as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had also fielded Mamata's ex-confidante Suvendu Adhikari in that seat.

Kolkata:After the announcement of her party's candidates list, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday held her first mega rally in East Midnapore's Nandigram where the feisty West Bengal chief minister brought alive old memories of the Nandigram anti-land acquisition protests.

"Bhulte Pari Sobar Naam, Bhulbo Nako Nandigram (I can forget everyone's name but I will never forget Nandigram)...When I had first visited Nandigram, there was no MLA. I looked at these faces and decided to contest from here. I had my home constituency and it was Bhawanipore. There was no problem and the effort would have been less for me. But still, I chose Nandigram as I could see your love and enthusiasm," Banerjee said.

Earlier, Banerjee had dubbed Nandigram as "lucky" for her. "I will contest from Nandigram. It is my lucky place," Banerjee had declared at a rally in Nandigram in January this year.

Nandigram is a stronghold of newly-inducted BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari who had been elected from the high-profile seat in 2016 and became a minister in the Mamata Banerjee-led state cabinet. Adhikari had joined the saffron brigade in December last year. The rebel Trinamool leader had claimed earlier he would defeat Banerjee by more than 50,000 votes in Nandigram.

At Tuesday's rally, Banerjee criticised BJP's campaign strategy as the saffron camp is calling her "an outsider" in Nandigram. "I am a daughter of Bengal. But now I have become an outsider? And people coming to Bengal from other states like Delhi and Rajasthan have suddenly become insiders?" the TMC chief said, without naming Suvendu Adhikari.

Coming down hard on those calling her an outsider in Nandigram, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday for the people "coming from Gujarat" are insiders.

Addressing booth-level TMC workers a day ahead of filing her nomination for the seat, Banerjee said people who had "sold their souls to outsiders from Gujarat" are insulting the Nandigram movement by playing the communal card.

"I have heard some people are calling me an outsider in Nandigram. I am amazed. I was born and brought up in the neighbouring Birbhum district, and the person who is calling me an outsider was also not born here. Today I have become an outsider, and those coming from Gujarat have become insiders in Bengal," she said.

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Adhikari has often called himself "bhoomiputra" (son of the soil) while seeking to get back at the TMC supremo who has been targeting the BJP with the "party of outsiders" barb.

Accusing Adhikari of trying to incite communal passions, Banerjee said, "Those who have sold their souls to the outsiders are insulting the Nandigram land acquisition movement by playing the communal card."

"Some people are talking about 70:30 ratio (of Hindu-Muslim population). Those doing that are insulting the sacred Nandigram movement which people of both communities fought together. People of Nandigram will make BJP 'April fool' on April 1 when polling is held," she asserted.

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Banerjee also launched a scathing attack on the BJP on Hindutva grounds and chanted 'Chandipath' after that. The Chandipath is one of the most ancient and complete systems of mantra worship of the divine mother goddess in the Hindu tradition. It comes from chapters 81 to 93 of the Markandeya Purana that is known as one of the greatest spiritual treasures of Hindu spirituality.

"Don't try to teach me what is Hindutva. I also come from a Hindu family...If you don't want me in Nandigram, I shall go away. And if you think I am a daughter of Nandigram, I will file my nomination tomorrow to contest from Nandigram," Banerjee said.

(with inputs from agencies)

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