Mamata Banerjee mocks Amit Shah for rejecting 'goli maro' comment

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has mocked Union Home Minister Amit Shah for expressing disapproval of slogans like "goli maro" during the Delhi election campaign. She said it was as inconsequential as a doctor coming after the death of a patient.

Referring to the statements made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders during the campaigning for Delhi polls, Banerjee said nowadays some people are openly threatening to shoot protesters just because they don't agree with them.

"If you don't agree with them, they are saying boli nahi toh goli". They are threatening to shoot everybody. Now, what's the use of saying (slamming the statements) it was not right? What's the use of doctor coming after the patient is dead?" said the West Bengal Chief Minister in the state Assembly without naming Shah.

Amit Shah had earlier on Thursday disapproved of slogans like "goli maro" and "Indo-Pak match" used during the campaign and said these remarks may have been one of the possible reasons for the party's defeat in Delhi election.

Speaking at the Times Now Summit 2020, Shah had said that, "Statements like 'goli maro' and 'Indo-Pak match' should not have been made. Our party has distanced itself from such remarks. It is possible that we might have suffered partially because of those



comments."

BJP MP Parvesh Verma was banned from campaigning twice by the Election Commission for his 'hate speeches' during the Delhi election campaigning. He called Arvind Kejriwal a 'terrorist' and said protestors at Shaheen Bagh were capable of rape and murder. 

BJP's candidate from Model Town Kapil Mishra, who lost to AAP's Akhilesh Tripathi, had faced a 48-hour campaigning ban from the poll body over his controversial tweets. 

"Delhi mein chote chote Pakistan bane (Number of mini Pakistan has been created in Delhi)", "Shaheen Bagh mein Pakistan ki entry", "India Vs Pakistan February 8 Delhi", and "AAP and Congress have created Shaheen Bagh like Pakistan" are some of the contents in the tweets the EC order had referred to.

Hitting out at the saffron party, she alleged that law and order situation has deteriorated in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh where "victims are burnt alive and their families attacked."

"In Bengal, we have strengthened laws for protecting women. Police immediately file complaints in cases of crime against women. But look at UP where victims are burnt alive and their families attacked," news agency quoted Banerjee as saying.