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Mamata Banerjee: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that the BJP was obstructing her Bongaon visit.
Mamata Banerjee: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that the BJP was obstructing her Bongaon visit. He said he was told at 10 am that the hired helicopter would not take off, whereas he was to reach Bongaon at 12.30 pm. Banerjee alleged that this was political interference and warned the BJP not to ‘play’ with her as she could not be stopped. After the helicopter journey was cancelled, the Chief Minister had to go to Bongaon in North 24 Parganas by road. Amid growing panic among the people over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list, she finally reached the place at around 2 pm to address a huge rally.
Reached Bongaon by road
However, a top bureaucrat said Banerjee’s helicopter trip to Bongaon for a political rally on Tuesday was canceled after officials discovered that the license of the aircraft allotted for the trip had expired. Banerjee traveled by road to Bongaon in North 24 Parganas district, about 104 kilometers from Kolkata. Alleging political reasons behind the cancellation of the trip, Mamta said that I have not traveled by helicopter for the last seven-eight months. Today I had planned to come here and then go to Thakurnagar. Everything was booked in advance. But at 10 in the morning a message came that the helicopter would not go. Turning the hurdle into a campaign, Banerjee said the road trip gave her an opportunity to come in closer touch with people.
Attacked BJP
Said that BJP has started creating obstacles before the start of elections. It really helped me. I met many people on the way. Stepping up her attack on Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress supremo warned the BJP against attempts to intimidate her. Said don’t try to play with me. You will not be able to defeat me by fighting me politically. She said she mostly travels by road and does not depend on helicopters. Said that I cannot be surrounded. His comments come at a time when there is concern over the SIR verification process in the refugee belt of Bengal.
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