Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said she believed that Narendra Modi liked and accepted the name — INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) — of the coalition of 26 parties formed to take on the BJP nationally.
The Bengal chief minister was responding with sarcasm to the Prime Minister's jibe on the alliance earlier in the day.
“Thanks to our Prime Minister. I believe he likes the name of our alliance, INDIA. In fact, I think he has even accepted our name,” said Mamata, tongue firmly in cheek.
“Not just him, even the general public has accepted the name, and has been very welcoming,” she added.
Mamata was speaking to journalists when she came out of Raj Bhavan here after meeting governor C.V. Ananda Bose.
Earlier in the day, many of those present at a meeting of the BJP parliamentary party in New Delhi had said Prime Minister Modi had derided INDIA as the most directionless alliance and cited reviled names such as the East India Company and the Indian Mujahideen to claim that people would not be misdirected by the mere use of the nation’s name. They said Modi underscored the fact that the Indian National Congress — the BJP’s principal foe and the spearhead of INDIA — had been named by Englishman Allan Octavian Hume.
Modi was apparently severely critical of the Opposition amid assertions that the BJP would come to power for a third consecutive term at the Centre after the general election next year.
Senior leaders of and spokespersons for Mamata’s party began returning fire almost immediately after with belligerent criticism of Modi and the saffron regime.
But Mamata refused to respond with anger or bitterness.
“It is because of you (the media), you ask so many questions all the time. He (Modi) has to say something. So he has spoken about our alliance,” she said.
“When the Indian cricket team goes out to play, do we call the team by any other name, apart from India? Does anybody say Mujahideen? It is always Team India. When we talk about our motherland, we proudly say India,” said the chief minister.
“The more the BJP talks about INDIA, the more they try to trash-talk the name… the name of our country, the more we will (choose to) believe that they are getting to like the name, INDIA, more and more,” added Mamata.
The chief minister said she had met the governor as a mark of courtesy as the monsoon session of the Assembly had begun.
“We don’t have to pass any bills this session, but we have to conduct them anyway, a certain number of sessions each year, according to the laws. In the previous sessions, we passed all necessary bills,” she said.
“Nonetheless, I met the governor and apprised him of two finance bills that might happen to come up,” added the chief minister after the brief meeting with Bose.
