'Mamata abusing PM Modi, EC, Shah for COVID-19 surge reveals her sanskar': Smriti Irani

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday hit out at West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for blaming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the COVID-19 surge in the state. Irani said she was shocked to hear the TMC Supremo ‘abuse’ the Prime Minister and the Home Minister over the pandemic. Comparing TMC’s 'sanskar' with the BJP, Irani said PM Modi addresses Mamata as 'didi' during election rallies but she abuses the party leadership from public platforms.

“I am shocked to hear that she is abusing Modi ji & Amit Shah ji for the pandemic. But this is Mamata Banerjee's 'sanskar'. Modi Ji addresses her as 'didi' butshe abuses our leadership from public platforms,” the minister told ANI.

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee made a controversial statement on Wednesday, accusing the BJP leaders of spreading the virus in the state while campaigning for elections. She said the saffron party is bringing ‘outsiders’ to Bengal to increase the infection rate in the state.

“Narendra Modi and Amit Shah didn't come here when COVID-19 broke out. Now they have brought people here from outside and are escaping after spreading the virus,” Banerjee remarked.

Mamata links election rallies to COVID surge

A day earlier, Bengal recorded its highest single-day spike of 4,817 novel coronavirus cases pushing the tally to 6,24,224. Moreover, the death count also rose to 10,434 after 20 fresh fatalities were registered in the state. Addressing a public meeting in Jalpaiguri, Banerjee linked the advent of the second COVID-19 wave to the alleged slow pace of vaccination in the country.

"If the BJP had given vaccines to everyone on time, this new wave of Coronavirus would not have emerged. Do you know- they have brought scores of people from outside? They have brought all outsiders in the name of election campaigning and have spread the COVID infection here. Now, they are asking for votes,” the TMC leader said.

At present, there are 29,050 active novel coronavirus cases in West Bengal while 5,84,740 patients have been discharged besides 10,434 fatalities.