NEW DELHI: “Didi, you would even curse the soil had you fallen from the scooty.”
PM Modi took several such potshots at Mamata Banerjee in his speech at Kolkata’s Brigrade Parade Ground on Sunday.
Addressing a huge election rally in the West Bengal capital, PM Modi tore into the Bengal chief minister, accusing the Trinamool regime of corruption, nepotism and retrograde politics.
The ‘scooty’ reference was hard to miss. Mamata Banerjee recently rode pillion on an electric two wheeler from her house to the state secretariat. This was in a mark of protest against rising fuel prices, for which she blamed the Modi government at the Centre.
Watch: Smriti Irani, Mamata Banerjee ride two-wheelers
Shutterbugs even captured her trying to ride the vehicle. At an awkward moment, she seemed to lose balance and was held from falling by security persons.
PM Modi’s ‘scooty’ dig at Sunday’s rally was an obvious reference to this.
“Your (Mamata Banerjee) scooty took a turn towards Nandigram instead of going to Bhawanipore. Didi, I wish everyone well and do not want anyone to be hurt. But what can I do if the scooty is destined to fall in Nandigram?” the Prime Minister said.
The BJP’s response to Mamata Banerjee’s scooter act came the very next day. Union minister Smriti Irani rode a scooty while leading a BJP rally in South 24 Parganas.