Country staring at food crisis because of BJP: Mamata

Ranaghat (WB), January 11 (PTI): The country is staring at a food crisis because of the "adamant" approach of the BJP to the continued agitation by farmers for withdrawal of the three new farm laws, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday.

She also called the BJP a "junk" party for inducting "rotten" leaders from other political outfits.

"The country is staring at a food crisis. If the BJP continues to remain adamant on the farm laws, there will be a food shortage in our country. The farmers are assets of our country and we should not do anything that goes against their interest," she said.

The TMC supremo also demanded immediate repeal of the three farm laws, as being demanded by farmers agitating at Delhi's borders.

She also unleashed a stinging attack on the BJP over the party inducting a raft of leaders from other political parties.

"BJP is the biggest junk party in the country. It's a dustbin party that is filling up its rank and file with corrupt and rotten leaders from other parties.

"You must have seen some (TMC) leaders switch over to the BJP. They have done it to protect the public money they had looted. The BJP runs the party like a washing machine, where corrupt leaders turn into saints the moment they join them," she said, addressing a rally here in Nadia district.

She also drew a parallel between BJP cadres and supporters of US President Donald Trump who stormed the Capitol recently.

"The day the BJP loses elections, its cadre and suppoters will behave like that," she claimed.

Mamata in panic, packing her bags fearing poll defeat: BJP

(IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is packing her bags and will not be able to retain power, BJP national spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said on Monday, reiterating his party's claim of winning more than 200 seats in the Assembly election in the eastern state later this year.

"In the (recent) Lok Sabha election we won 18 seats in West Bengal. We have resolved to win more than 200 seats in this election. Mamata Banerjee is only packing her bags in panic now," Hussain said.

Addressing a press conference in Panaji at the party's state headquarters, he also said that the West Bengal Chief Minister was losing her cool because her defeat was imminent.

"Mamata Banerjee, who used to speak about 'Ma, Maati, Manush', is now speaking the language of guns and bullets. It is certain that the lotus will bloom in West Bengal, just the same way that the sun will rise tomorrow," the former Union minister said.