You BJP babu, have you built one Ram Mandir yet? Didi asks Modi

A war of words seems to have broken out between PM Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi – visibly miffed over West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s refusal to take his calls to touch base with her regarding cyclone Fani – dared her to get him arrested for chanting ‘Jai Sri Ram’ at a public rally in West Bengal on Monday (May 6), Banerjee retorted by questioning him why he has not even built one Ram temple and is instead busy chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’.

“You BJP babu, you say ‘Jai Shri Ram’ but have you built even one Ram temple? At the time of elections, Ram Chandra becomes your party agent, you say ‘Ram Chandra is my election agent’. You say ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and force others to say it,” ANI quoted Banerjee as saying at a public rally in Bishnupur on April 6.

Earlier in the day, Modi at a rally at Jhargram in south Bengal, hailed Lord Ram with the chant of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and dared Banerjee to have him arrested, taking a dig at her over the arrest of three people reportedly after they chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ when the CM’s convoy was passing by.

“Didi has thrown people into jail for chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’. I thought of greeting her with the chant so she can throw me behind bars, too. I will then serve the innocent people who are in jail for chanting in praise of Lord Ram,” the Prime Minister said.

At the rallies at Haldia and Jhargram, Modi also told people that he tried contacting Banerjee to talk about the cyclone, but she didn’t receive his calls.

“Speed breaker didi made all attempts to politicize the cyclone. I tried to talk to Mamata didi over phone but she is so proud that she did not receive my call. I waited for her to call back but she did not do that either,” The Hindu reported Modi as saying at a rally at Tamluk in Purba Medinipur.

On May 5, the Trinamool Congress had criticized PM Modi for not contacting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to inquire on relief and rehabilitation work after Cyclone Fani hit West Bengal, as he did with the Odisha chief minister. An official in Delhi later clarified that the PM’s office had tried contacting Banerjee twice, but didn’t get any response from her.