New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) TMC Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien on Wednesday slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remark on West Bengal’s capital Kolkata, and called him a “political tourist” in the state.
He shared a video clip from a campaign speech of the home minister in Dum Dum, where he said, “The whole city has in a way become a city of slums.” O’Brien retorted on X, “How dare you. Amit Shah, you third-grade political tourist. How dare you call Kolkata, ‘a city of slums’.” The Trinamool Congress described Shah’s remark as “Bangla-birodhi” (anti-Bengal).
“Kolkata has been called many things — the City of Joy, the Cultural Capital of India, the Gateway of Eastern India, the Safest City in India,” the party said in a post on X.
“Today, Amit Shah made his contribution to that list. He called Kolkata a city of slums. To him, the people who built and sustain this city are slum-dwellers deserving nothing but disdain,” it said.
The party alleged that Shah’s comments reflected the BJP’s outlook towards the state.
“This is how BJP sees Bengal. This is how they will treat Bengal if they ever gain a foothold here,” it said.
“Can you imagine what comes next if these Bangla-birodhi zamindars are allowed through the door?” the party said.
In Dum Dum, Shah also accused the ruling TMC of settling “infiltrators” in such areas for vote-bank politics.
He urged voters to support the BJP to make West Bengal free of “infiltrators” and to “restore the glory of Kolkata.” PTI AO VN VN
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