BJP targeting me, Abhishek, we are not safe: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday, 21 April, alleged that the BJP is targeting her and her nephew and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and they do not feel safe.

Her allegation came a day after the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said that there would be a "big explosion on Monday which will shake the TMC and its top brass".

"The BJP is targeting me and Abhishek, we are not safe, but we are also not afraid of the saffron party's conspiracy. We urge everyone to be on guard against a conspiracy against TMC leaders and the people of West Bengal," she said, while addressing an election rally in Kumarganj in Balurghat Lok Sabha seat in favour of party candidate and state minister Biplab Mitra.

Responding to Adhikari's remark, the TMC supremo said, "There is a traitor who joined the BJP to protect his family and ill-gotten wealth. Let me tell him, his threat to trigger a chocolate bomb explosion is treated with contempt by us."

"We will counter him by bursting firecrackers. For us firecrackers are unravelling discrepancies in PM Care Fund and 'jumla' of crediting Rs 15 lakh in every citizen's bank account. He only peddles falsehood," she said.

On the change in colour of the Doordarshan logo, Banerjee accused the Narendra Modi government of painting independent institutions such as Doordarshan in saffron hues, stating that the BJP "appropriating the colour" was an insult to sacrifices made by monks and spiritual leaders of the country for ages.

She wondered how the logo of Doordarshan could be painted in saffron during elections, alleging it was done to suit the BJP's "religion-based vote bank politics and agenda".

"Why did the DD logo suddenly turn saffron? Why were official residences of army personnel painted in saffron? Why was the uniform of police in Kashi (Varanasi) changed to saffron?" she questioned.

"We strongly protest the decision (to change the colour of DD logo)... it is another instance of the BJP's authoritarian rule. If it returns to power, there will be no more polls in future. There will be one man, one party rule, and religious rights of different communities will be at stake," she said.