Mamata hates Lord Ram's name, has issues with Durga Puja: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleging the Trinamool Congress supremo was destroying democracy with her "repressive style" of governance in the state and curbing democratic rights of the people.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleging the Trinamool Congress supremo was destroying democracy with her "repressive style" of governance in the state and curbing democratic rights of the people. Modi was speaking exclusively to ABP News before his rally in Haryana's Kurukshetra. "The people of West Bengal know that Mamata Banerjee's politics of repression is going to end. Mamataji has also realised this. Now, no one can save her and that is why she is destroying democracy in the state," Modi said in his second interview to ABP News in less than 40 days. "Today, West Bengal is facing a major crisis. During the Lok Sabha polls, reports of violence have come only from there. Elections in Jammu and Kashmir were held peacefully but in West Bengal, candidates were attacked and attempts made to capture booths," the prime minister said. Modi said people in West Bengal were facing hurdles even in following their religious beliefs and were punished for chanting the name of Lord Ram. "Mahatma Gandhi had said the name of Lord Ram played a major role in his life. He associated himself with Lord Ram till the last moment. But Mamataji hates the name of Lord Ram," Modi said. The prime minister was obviously referring to a recent incident where three people were arrested allegedly for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' when Banerjee's convoy was passing by. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media. "She has issues with Durga Puja and Kali Utsav. Indulging in vote bank politics, she has even curbed the democratic rights of the people in the state," he alleged. Modi and Banerjee were engaged in a vicious war of words in their poll rallies in the recent past, heating up the electoral battle during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Modi also accused the opposition parties of targeting him with a torrent of abuses because he is a "kamdaar" and they are "namdaars". "They insulted and abused my mother and father. They did so because they are 'namdaars' and we 'kamdaars' had to bear it. I served the nation with dedication not caring about the abuses being hurled at me. The more they throw mud at us, the more the lotus will bloom," he said. Responding to a question on BJP's achievements over the past five years, Modi said: "I have experienced during election rallies that this time there's a pre-incumbency wave in favour of the BJP. The way we have worked for people, I have faith that this time the BJP will get a bigger mandate than 2014. Also, our vote share is going to increase." He said the BJP will break all previous records in Uttar Pradesh. Mocking the Congress' challenge this Lok Sabha election, Modi said it can only cut into votes of other parties. "The Congress has openly accepted that it can only cut into votes of other parties. They are not contesting to form government but fighting for their self-respect," he said.