Trinamool leader takes veiled jab at PM with Sindoor remark, BJP calls it treason
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Udayan Guha on Wednesday stoked a major political row by taking a veiled jab at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, making an apparent reference to Operation Sindoor, a day ahead of his visit to North Bengal.Guha said that someone who sold tea earlier is coming to Bengal to sell vermillion, seemingly implying that the PM is going to seek votes in the name of Operation Sindoor success.advertisement"Earlier someone might have been in the tea business, today some might be in the vermilion business. Someone used to sell hot tea earlier. Now hot vermilion is flowing through the blood, and they are rushing so far in North Bengal to sell that vermilion," Guha said at an event on Wednesday.
"My point is, don't try to put poison among people like this. Don't try to create division among people by injecting religious poison into them," he added.In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, Indian forces carried out precision strikes under Operation Sindoor, and caused considerable damage to the Pakistani terror infrastructure on May 7. The strikes were seen as a major military victory for the Indian armed forces and a strategic one for the Modi government.advertisementTaking a strong exception to Guha's statement, the BJP slammed the TMC leader, saying his remarks amounted to "treason"."Udayan Guha, a key member of Mamata Banerjee's cabinet and the Minister for North Bengal Development, has made a comment that is not only utterly condemnable but amounts to treason!" Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar wrote on X. He also called Guha's remarks an insult to the Armed forces and the martyrs.Meanwhile, the Mamata Banerjee-led party has distanced itself from Guha's remarks, saying it still stands with the Centre as far as the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions are concerned."The party doesn't approve that statement. Our stand is very clear. Our party is standing by the Centre in this particular matter. During the fight against terrorism, we are playing the role of a responsible Opposition party," TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said.Meanwhile, the TMC, earlier in the day, took a "migratory bird" jibe at PM Modi without naming him."Since the migratory birds are making their seasonal visit to Bengal, why not answer one simple question: Why is the Centre still withholding Bengal's rightful dues amounting to Rs 1.7 lakh crore?" the party posted on X.PM Modi will visit West Bengal on Thursday and is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for a Rs 1,010-crore City Gas Distribution (CGD) project in Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts, apart from addressing a rally in Alipurduar.advertisementPM Modi will reach Alipurduar at around 1 pm on Thursday after first attending an event in neighbouring Sikkim.
IN THIS STORY#West Bengal#Bharatiya Janta Party#All India Trinamool Congress#Narendra Modi
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