Bhupesh Baghel slams Mamata Banerjee's UPA statement, says her agenda not clear - Hindustan Times
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Bhupesh Baghel slams Mamata Banerjee's UPA statement, says her agenda not clear

By | Written by Amit Chaturvedi, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Dec 04, 2021 03:17 PM IST

HTLS 2021: When asked if Mamata Banerjee will go back to BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel said, “She can do anything. She was the one who gave the BJP space in West Bengal. The BJP had no standing in Bengal. She can go with any political party.”

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel slammed his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee for her statement against the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), saying political experts are keenly watching her.

HTLS Day 5: Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel.
HTLS Day 5: Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel.

Baghel also demanded that Banerjee should tell in public what she discussed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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“UPA led the government at the Centre for 10 years. Sonia Gandhi was its chairperson, Manmohan Singh was its Prime Minister for so long, and now you say ‘what is UPA?’ Political experts are keenly watching her,” said Baghel.

Further sharpening his attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief, Baghel said, “When Mamata Banerjee met (NCP chief) Sharad Pawar, she said ‘there is no such thing as UPA’. She also met the Prime Minister but never told anyone what was discussed. She should tell the country.”
Further sharpening his attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief, Baghel said, “When Mamata Banerjee met (NCP chief) Sharad Pawar, she said ‘there is no such thing as UPA’. She also met the Prime Minister but never told anyone what was discussed. She should tell the country.”

Further sharpening his attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief, Baghel said, “When Mamata Banerjee met (NCP chief) Sharad Pawar, she said ‘there is no such thing as UPA’. She also met the Prime Minister but never told anyone what was discussed. She should tell the country.”

“During West Bengal elections, you had different attitude and see her now. It’s been a week since she met the Prime Minister but hasn’t spoken a word about that meeting. And attacks on Congress started after she met the Prime Minister,” the Chhattisgarh chief minister said.

Questioning the rationale behind attacking Congress, Baghel said if Mamata Banerjee wants to become a big leader, she should attack the central government and the BJP.

“Her agenda is not clear,” said the Congress leader.

When asked if Mamata will go back to BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Baghel said, “She can do anything. She was the one who gave the BJP space in West Bengal. The BJP had no standing in Bengal. She can go with any political party.”

He agreed that opposition parties should be united to take on the BJP, but said insult won’t be tolerated. “You cannot expect cooperation from someone or a party by insulting it. If you want cooperation, you should give respect to others,” said Baghel.

While on a visit to Maharashtra earlier this week, Mamata Banerjee said there was no United Progressive Alliance (UPA) left in the country and made a pitch for unifying opposition parties to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre.

“What is UPA? There is no UPA,” Banerjee told reporters after meeting Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar.

The Bengal CM’s comments assume significance because she was a constituent of the Congress-led UPA, which was in power at the Centre between 2004 and 2014, and even served as the Union railways minister under then prime minister Manmohan Singh.

Banerjee was a senior Congress leader before she left to form the TMC in 1998, fought several assembly elections in alliance with the Congress and was known to enjoy warm personal relations with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

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