Black money against cut money: Highlights of Mamata Banerjee's Martyrs' Day speech

"Nothing about cut money. Bring back the black money and the money used in the elections," Mamata said hitting out at the BJP.

Following the Lok Sabha polls, which saw the Trinamool losing its ground to the BJP massively, Mamata had urged her party men to return "cut money" to people if taken, a move which was initially perceived as a strategy to rescue her anti-corruption image. But the state BJP didn't spare her from taunts after several people had started protesting against the local Trinamool leaders for taking cut money.

Return Ballot papers

In a much lack-lustre Martyrs' Day, which is celebrated by the Trinamool every year to commemorate the deaths of 13 people in a shooting back in 1993, Mamata also cried foul over BJP's win in 18 West Bengal constituencies, in contrast to her own dream to win all 42 seats.

Raising suspicion over the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the Trinamool supremo accused the BJP of "programming" polling machines to achieve their own target. She also gave a call to return ballots papers, which she said are used by the first world countries.

Issue of outsiders

In a complete one-hour speech in Bengali, which was quite unusual during her Lok Sabha poll campaign, Mamata also raised the "outsider" issue which has gained significance in recent times.

"Despite being in a coalition with the BJP, the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar is keeping an eye on RSS through police. We are not doing such things. I urge all BJP-RSS people to rectify yourselves or else people will find out the outsiders," Mamata said.

After losing her cool multiple times upon hearing "Jai Shree Ram" slogan by BJP men, Mamata had threatened to throw out the "outsiders" from the state for subjugating Bengali people.

Attacking BJP on democracy

Criticising the Sonbhadra killings in Uttar Pradesh and thereby detention of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, Banerjee said: "We have sent our team to UP, you have stopped us. You have stopped Priyanka Gandhi as well. We never stop people even during Section 144 imposition. Media also raised their voice against us but why aren't they doing the same now in UP."

  'Tellywood' surround Didi

Days after the BJP welcomed a line of Bengali television actors to the party fold, the Chief Minister was seen mostly surrounded by the television personalities who are leaned towards the Trinamool on Sunday.

 

During her concluding speech too, Mamata was surrounded by Bharat Kaul, Bhaskar Banerjee, Saurav Das, Dolon Roy, Ranita Das, who are popular faces on television.

The stage had top Tollywood stars turned parliamentarians like Dev, Nusrat Jahan and Mimi Chakraborty, but the showbiz quota was mostly filled by television artists and not big stars.