No Indian is outsider in Bengal; BJP CM will be son of soil: Modi

Kanthi (WB), March 24

Bengal has brought together the nation through 'Vande Mataram', and on this land, CM Mamata Banerjee was terming people "bohiragoto", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday, announcing that if voted to power, a son of the soil would be made the BJP chief minister of the state.

Addressing an election rally in Kanthi in Purba Medinipur district, Modi said Bengal is the land of icons like Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore and Subhas Chandra Bose and on this land no Indian is an outsider.

"Bengal brought together the people of India through Vande Mataram, and on that land Mamata-didi is talking about 'bohiragoto' (outsider). No Indian is an outsider here, they are children of Bharat Mata," he said.

"We are being called 'tourists', fun is being made of us, we are being insulted. Didi, people of Rabindranath's Bengal don't consider anybody outsider," Modi added.

When the BJP forms government in Bengal, the chief minister would be a son of the soil, he said at the rally amid loud cheers from his supporters.

Modi's comments came amid an "insider vs outsider" debate with Banerjee asserting regularly that she wouldn’t allow Bengal to be ruled by "outsiders" from Delhi or Gujarat, in a reference to the BJP and the prime minister.

The Trinamool Congress has even launched the 'Bangla Nijer Meyeke Chaye' (Bengal wants its own daughter) campaign, with party leaders calling BJP functionaries visiting the state as "election tourists".

The prime minister said Banerjee insulted the people of Nandigram with false accusations, and people would give her a befitting reply.

"You are maligning Nandigram and its people before the entire country. This is the same Nandigram that gave you so much. The people of Nandigram will not forgive you and will give you a befitting reply," he said, apparently referring to the March 10 incident in which the chief minister was injured.

The prime minister said Banerjee was talking about 'Duare Sarkar' (government at doorstep), while she would be shown the door on May 2. PTI