Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday accused the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal of being a "clone" of the previous Left Front regime, and alleged that she was following the same "repressive" measures adopted by her predecessors.
Likening her with Goddess Durga, she said Banerjee fought the "demons" of the 34-year-long Left Front government in the state, and also atrocities by her own workers when she was in the Congress
"The amount of violence she had to go through during her Youth Congress days and from the Communists, she is making everyone suffer the same," Sitharaman said, while asking her if "is this the politics you want to do? Is this 'parivartan' (change)?"
Alleging that Banerjee was not "cooperating" with the country's own government, she asked, "Is the central government of our own or of some other country?"
Criticising the chief minister over the Balakot air strike, she asked her: "Are you with India, nationalist Indians, or are you helping our enemies?"
Commenting on BJP president Amit Shah's visit to the state, Sitharaman wondered whether the chief minister was "afraid" of it. "You are the CM here, what are you afraid of?"