Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday invoked the principles of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and other freedom fighters to stress that inclusiveness was the most important quality of a leader — a remark seen as a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Who becomes a leader of the country?” the Bengal chief minister asked during the Netaji birth anniversary celebrations at Chowrasta in Darjeeling.

The question on attributes of a leader assumes significance as Mamata has been slamming the Modi-led BJP for allegedly pursuing the divisive agenda to remain in power.

“Netaji and Gandhiji became the country’s leaders because they moved ahead embracing all. Baba Saheb Ambedkar walked with all, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was there because he took all with him. Even Bhanuji (Nepali poet Bhanubhakta Acharya) used to write for all,” the chief minister said.

Mamata said Netaji’s contributions were not limited to giving “Jai Hind” slogan and forming the national planning commission.

“Subhas Chandra Bose used to say, to protect Hindustan, the important thing is to stay together, whether it be Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christian, be it Gujarati or Punjabi or Sindhi,” she said.

For the past five years, Mamata has been marking Netaji’s birth anniversary in Darjeeling as part of her attempt to connect with the hill people.

Netaji is one of the tallest nationalist leaders in the hills and the Gorkha community has a special place for him.

“The people of Bengal, especially those in the hills, have always marched forward whenever the country needed them. That’s why there was the Gorkha regiment. The Gorkhas from the hills were with the INA. Netaji had deep affection for the Gorkhas, the identity of Gorkhas started from that time,” she said.

Mamata said the British had kept Netaji under house arrest in Kurseong in 1937. “Where else but Darjeeling is the place to mark his birth anniversary?” she said justifying her decision to hold the celebration in the hills.

Sources in Trinamul said the Netaji birthday celebration in Dareeling had grown bigger with each passing year and the event had worked wonders for Mamata.

After pandering to the Gorkha pride, Mamata launched an assault on Modi’s leadership abilities, without naming him. “Those who want to divide the country can never be the country’s leader… (such people) can only be a leader for someone, not a country’s leader,” she said.

“I don’t consider anyone who divides our country or makes people fight among each other as country’s leader,” Mamata said in a clear reference to Modi.

The chief minister pointed a finger at the Centre for its alleged apathy towards Netaji.“Subhas Chandra Bose’s birthday is a state holiday but it hasn’t been declared a national holiday.”

Mamata also raised the issue of declassifying files on Netaji’s death and said: “Even today what had happened to him (Netaji), where he died, no one knows, it’s a mystery. It is a sad thing, a shameful episode,” said Mamata.