In a warm sign of goodwill between political foes, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today told veteran Left leader Ashok Ghosh that he had the "right" to point out her mistakes while the latter described the TMC supremo as being just like his "younger sister".
During a visit to the office of All India Forward Bloc, which is a partner of the opposition Left Front, to wish the nonagenarian Ghosh, Banerjee also said that politics does not mean misusing power but working for the masses.
"Give us advise. If you see that any mistake is being committed by us anywhere, I give you the right to point it out," she said after greeting 94-year Ghosh with flowers and sweets and wishing him a healthy life.
"I am here for a courtesy visit as I couldn't come to wish him on his birthday earlier this month. I had decided that once I am back in Kolkata, I will come and visit him. I had spoken to him on his birthday," she said.
Heaping praises on Ghosh, Banerjee said in his presence, "Ashok- da belongs to the genre of political leaders who have dedicated their lives to the masses. Leaders like him are examples. Rather than leading luxurious lives they have taken pains and suffered hardships to work for the masses."
Banerjee said she shares the lifestyle of various Left leaders who believed in simple living and working for the masses.
She also added that "politics doesn't mean misusing power, but working for the masses and living up to commitments. Politics means what you say on Day One you should follow that on Day 100 also."
Ghosh, for his part, said, "We all want to follow the ideology of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in our work. Mamata Banerjee, too, follows that ideology. She is just like my younger sister.
