New Delhi: “Delhi is not a safe place,” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said today, as she abruptly cut short her three-day visit here canceling her appointments with the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister.
“Today, I was supposed to have a meeting with the Finance Minister… but I am returning to Kolkata. I was unwell since last evening and had to be administered oxygen. I will come back, but Delhi is not a safe place. I am sorry,” she told reporters here before leaving for Kolkata.
She said soon after she cancelled her meeting with the Prime Minister last night, Manmohan Singh called her up and apologized for the incident outside the Planning Commission where she and state Finance Minister Amit Mitra faced the wrath of Left activists protesting the death of SFI leader Sudipto Gupta in Kolkata.
Asked about the details of her conversation with Singh and West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan, Banerjee said, “I had an appointment with the PM, which I could not do it. I apologies for that. He also told me that Mamataji, what happened … I also apologies to you…which should not (have) happen(ed) and I think that in Delhi … this is the first time, it is happening”.
She also dismissed the reports about violence against the Left parties in West Bengal even after her appeal for calm in the state and blamed the CPI (M) for it.
“No violence. Whatever violence … CPI (M) cadre is doing. Our cadres are totally peaceful. They are very emotional. They listen to me. Let me tell that 55,000 people have been killed by CPI (M),” she said.
Banerjee claimed that political clashes during Left rule in the state were “hundred times more” than during her rule so far. “In the last one year, it is only 10 political clashes and in that too six TMC workers have been killed.”
The Chief Minister also criticized the Delhi Police for not being able to prevent the incident at the Planning Commission building yesterday.
Banerjee dismissed reports that she was asked by the police to enter through another gate, instead of the one where the demonstration was being held.
Police had yesterday reportedly said that she was advised to use the VIP gate of the Planning Commission instead of the main gate where SFI activists had assembled.
When asked about these reports, she said, “Not at all. Do you think I am a beggar? I never bow down my head. I consider myself as an LIP (Less Important Person) than a VIP.”
She also ridiculed the CPI (M) for condemning the incident, dubbing them “hypocrites and have double standards.”
“(On) one side they are killing the people and then they are condemning it. It is their double standard game always and they are hypocrites,” she said.-PIT
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