Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inaugurating a model of a proposed memorial dedicated to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on the occasion of Netaji's 127th birth anniversary. The event is celebrated as Parakram Diwas.
The West Bengal CM was addressing a function held in connection with the celebration of the birth anniversary of Netaji at the Red Road in Kolkata. Taking a dig at the Prime Minister, Banerjee said, “Indian National Army was created by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Today to get the publicity they may say we did Swaraj dwip at Andaman but that was done by Netaji.”
Mamata was referring to PM Modi's virtual inauguration of a model of a proposed memorial dedicated to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in the Andaman and Nicobar islands. PM Modi also named 21 uninhabited islands in the Union Territory after Param Vir Chakra awardees.
"When Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose visited the Andamans, these islands got their names," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in her address while targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the naming of the islands.
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"Netaji is our guide... He wanted farmers to be self-reliant, and weavers to be self-reliant. Similarly, clothes made by our weavers are being used in all the schools of Bengal. Many people say that we made Swaraj Island, Shahid Island, but it is not true. That names were given by Netaji," the Chief Minister said. The Chief Minister also expressed her disapproval at the Centre's decision to do away with the Planning Commission on the occasion of Netaji's 127th birth anniversary.
"Netaji created the Yojana Commission. But why was the Yojana Commission done away with? Now there is no planning. Everything is unplanned," Mamata said. She upped the ante while criticising the “wrongdoings of the Centre”.
"We are people born from the inspiration of revolution. But now even if cockroaches bite, a central team of 50 delegations are sent. How many teams have gone to Uttar Pradesh. There should be no discrimination in law," she added.
