WB Election: HM Amit Shah Launches Fresh Jibe At Rahul Gandhi, Calls 'Baba' As 'Tourist Leader'

"There's a tourist leader in the country. Many phases of polling concluded but Rahul baba was nowhere to be seen," - Amit Shah said referring to Gandhi's late visit to the state.

Tehatta: Union Home Minister and Bharatiya Janata Patry (BJP) leader Amit Shah has once again attacked Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi during his election campaign in West Bengal.

Amit Shah was addressing a crowd in Tehatta when he called "Rahul baba" - a "tourist leader".

"There's a tourist leader in the country. Many phases of polling concluded but Rahul baba was nowhere to be seen. He did one rally now and spoke of BJP's DNA. Don't ask about our DNA, it stands for Development, Nationalism and Aatmanirbhar Bharat,": Amit Shah said as quoted by news agency ANI, referring to Gandhi's late visit to the state amid the heated election season when addressed his first public meeting in Uttar Dinajpur district on Wednesday. 

The Union Home Minister also raked up the matter of infiltration as he said "Shouldn't we stop infiltration in Bengal? Infiltrators take away jobs of our youth, snatch away foodgrain of the poor. If the situation of infiltration continues in Bengal, then believe me, it'll pose a threat to not only Bengal but the entire country".

The statement comes after his remarks on Bangaleshi infiltration were countered by the country's Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.

Previously, Amit Shah had said that poor people come from Bangladeshi to India as even now they do not get enough to eat in their own country. Raking up the matter of infiltration in West Bengal amid election campaigning, he claimed that Bangladeshi infiltration will be stopped if BJP is voted to power in the state.

Reacting to this, Momen termed Shah's knowledge of Bangladesh as "limited". He also called them "unacceptable especially when relations between Bangladesh and India are so deep".

The Bangladesh Foreign Minister highlighted how the country is faring better than India on various social parameters. "We do not need to go to India," he said stating that over 1 lakh Indians work in Bangladesh.

As for the "tourist" jibe, the ruling Trinamool Congress has been tagging BJP and its biggest star campaigners like PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Shah and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath as outsiders, also often accusing them of indulging in political tourism.

Amit Shah on Tuesday attacked CM Mamata Banerjee over the same as he said: "Am I an outsider? Am I not a citizen of this country? Didi also calls the prime minister an outsider. Let me tell you Didi who are outsiders. You have very little knowledge".

"The communists have imported their ideology from China and Russia. The Congress's leadership is from outside - Italy. And the TMC's vote bank is illegal immigrants. I was born in this country and will turn into ashes in this land," he contented during the election rally in Nagrakata town in Jalpaiguri district.