Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asked booth-level workers of the Trinamul Congress to pull no punches in countering the BJP’s propaganda, especially regarding its citizenship regimen, and to equip themselves with knowledge of policies to reach out to the grassroots better.

The Trinamul Congress chief was addressing a convention of over 37,000 workers from the lowest tier of the organisational structure.

The first such exercise by Mamata in recent memory has been undertaken at the advice of Prashant Kishor, the election strategist appointed by Trinamul.

Mamata advised the workers to take notes from her speeches and go through her books to know what line they should adopt and how to punch holes into the claims of the saffron propaganda machinery. She stressed the need for a thorough understanding of the subjects — especially complex concepts such as the BJP’s citizenship thrusts — for them to able to expose the alleged lies.

“You should understand everything that the BJP propagates. Simultaneously, you have to know enough about the truth, to be able to counter it regularly. This has to be done on a no-hold-barred basis. You must appreciate the importance of this,” the chief minister told the convention.

Mamata seemed unhappy that the party workers didn’t take notes from her speeches to educate themselves on key issues. She repeatedly stressed the importance of the booth-level workers and said one of the goals of her formation of Trinamul was to ensure respect for those at the grassroots.

“It is your duty to work for the people. You must study every day. You must study the party’s policies and about the movements, through which we have come so far,” she said.

“Since 1993, I have been writing on every development. I am the only politician in the country who writes on day-to-day developments and contemporary issues, and publishes books… the number crossed a hundred this year. Please go through them,” she added.

Sources said the party’s leaders and workers in the middle and lower tiers were facing problems in explaining the nuances of the complex citizenship matrix and answering people’s questions.

“There is need for proper education on certain issues of national importance. This was advised by poll strategist Prasant Kishor. The workers sometimes take these things casually. The convention today was planned so that the workers take it seriously henceforth,” said a senior Trinamul leader.

“Booth-level workers are the core strength of the party organisation. Unless they are properly groomed, it would be difficult to take on saffron propaganda,” he added.

At the meeting, Mamata launched yet another scathing attack on the BJP.

“BJP is a feku party, only interested in spreading fake news. They are a party of insane bigots with little knowledge of religion, trying to confuse the entire nation, trying to divide and poison with the venom of hatred. They are a party of goons and riot-mongers,” she said.

“We must set aside all differences and work day and night, relentlessly, to keep them out of Bengal,” she added.