BJP should first apologise for Hathras and then seek votes: Mamata Banerjee in UP

Addressing a joint press conference with Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, she said, "BJP should first apologise for its deeds then seek votes. First, it should apologise for the Hathras incident. There will be 'Khela Hobe', (TMC's poll slogan in West Bengal) in UP this time."

She appealed to the people to support and vote in favour of Akhilesh.

"I have come here to appeal to the people of UP to vote unitedly in favour of SP. It is important first to save the country, therefore, my party is not contesting from here," Banerjee said.

The West Bengal CM said, "UP is the biggest state of the country and if BJP is ousted from here, it will be ousted from the country as well. Therefore, it is necessary to defeat BJP here."

She also took a dig at the manifesto released by BJP on Tuesday. "We don't know whether they have issued 'manifesto' or 'moneyfesto'. So many people died during corona. BJP should first apologise for that and then seek votes," she said.

Mamata said that the central government gave maximum funds to UP, but even then development of the state did not take place.

"Yogi govt could not provide wood for funerals of people who died due to Covid," she said.

She said, "They have promised to give scooty in their manifesto. We would have been happy if they would have promised jobs to family members of people who died due to Covid or during protest against far laws."

The West Bengal CM said, "BJP worked to divide the country, changing history, railway stations' names and playing with the Constitution made by Baba Ambedkar. It has destroyed Amar Jawan Jyoti."

She said that her party was contesting elections in Goa, but she came to UP for prestige. "My party is contesting polls in Goa, but instead of going there, I came to UP because here the fight is for prestige," she said.

Mamata also cautioned Dalits stating that their leaders have surrendered before BJP. "I want to tell Dalit brothers that their leaders too have surrendered before BJP, so they need to reconsider," she said.

She also accused the Yogi government of killing people in the name of encounters.

"We have seen how many people were killed in the name of encounters during the NRC. What's the need to kill people in fake encounters, you work according to the law. I don't support the NRC," she added.

She also cautioned the people to remain alert of those who pretend to be saints at the time of elections.

"We respect those who work as saints for the public 365 days, but the people of UP should remain cautious of those who pretend to be a saint at the time of the polls," she said.

Earlier, welcoming the West Bengal CM, SP president Akhilesh said, "BJP's plane of lies will now not land in Uttar Pradesh seeing Mamata Didi with us they have been reminded of their defeat in West Bengal."