Trinamul Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday called BJP leaders Amit Shah, J.P. Nadda and Kailash Vijayvargiya “bohiragawto (outsider)” and said they didn’t know the culture and tradition of Bengal

“BJP leaders demand that they not be tagged as outsiders. They can’t name me even after I dared them to take my name from the Diamond Harbour rally on November 29. They can only utter bhaipo (nephew). But I am taking their names — I am calling out that Kailash Vijayvargiya is an outsider…Amit Shah is an outsider. J.P. Nadda is an outsider,” the Diamond Harbour MP told a rally in Hooghly’s Arambagh on Thursday.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had laid the pitch for Trinamul’s “outsider” campaign as she has been consistently attacking the BJP for sending “outsiders” to the state and accused them of being unfamiliar with Bengal’s culture and tradition.

To assist the state unit in the run up to the 2021 Assembly elections, the central leadership of the BJP divided Bengal into five zones and appointed leaders from outside the state to head them. Those who have been appointed to take care of the five zones are Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Vinod Tawde, Dushyant Kumar Gautam, Harish Dwivedi and Sunil Deodhar.

Lambasting the “outsiders” for their lack of knowledge about Bengal’s culture, language, tradition and icons, Abhishek referred to the 2019 incident when a group of people came out of a poll rally, which had then BJP president Shah at its head, and vandalised the statue of Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar.

“It is a party where people can’t read Bengali, write Bengali and can’t even speak the language. They don’t know the culture and tradition of Bengal. Will you (crowd) not question the party on that? Those who vandalised the bust of Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar will not be able to answer your query?” he said as the 20,000 strong crowd at the Garhbari ground in Arambagh shouted in affirmation.

Abhishek also referred to the attack on the convoy of BJP national president J.P. Nadda and other party leaders, who were on their way to Diamond Harbour to attend a meeting on Thursday.

“Today BJP’s J.P. Nadda went to Diamond Harbour and fell into a ditch. What can I do? I can’t take responsibility for the spontaneous agitation by the people,” Abhishek said.

While daring the BJP leaders for a debate, he asked Trinamul workers to highlight the development projects undertaken by the Mamata government during the party’s reach out programme in the next few months.

“I am ready to participate in a debate with any BJP leader from Delhi or Bengal. We will show what our Didi (Mamata) has done for Bengal in her 10 years’ (of her rule) and contrast it with what their (Narendra) Modi has done for the state in these seven years. (Will tell them) how many international honours and appreciations Bengal has received and (ask them) how many the country has received (under Modi),” he said.

The MP asked Trinamul leaders and workers to take the BJP head on and seek a report card of the Narendra Modi government when BJP leaders would visit them.

Without naming Nadda, who claimed that the BJP would win over 200 Assembly seats in Bengal, Abhishek said Trinamul would emerge victors in not less than 225 constituencies.