West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said she did not believe in the politics of revenge otherwise she had enough grounds to send some CPI(M) leaders to jail after coming to power in the State.
Unveiling the festival edition of the TMC mouthpiece 'Jago Bangla', Ms. Banerjee also took on social media trolling and alleged that outsiders had been hired to spread misinformation about the State.
"At times I feel ashamed and embarrassed when I visit Delhi and discover how some people are spreading falsehood to malign Bengal, how they badmouth the State," she said.
The Chief Minister said that the people could not see the recognition received by her government, and the achievements it had made.
"One particular comment is picked up and twisted and circulated on social media and you are trolled," she said.
"Some outsiders have been hired to spread misinformation. This is not the culture of our State," she added.
Hitting out at the Opposition CPI(M), which had been upping the ante against the TMC government over the corruption allegations, Ms. Banerjee said she did not believe in the politics of revenge.
"We are not vindictive enough to send some of our predecessors CPI(M) leaders to jail though there were enough grounds. Still, if they believe in speaking ill against us, all I can say is please carry on. We don't care, we can only feel hurt," she said.
"All in the TMC are bad and those in your party good? Please don't be so myopic," she said.
"CPI(M)'s Ganashakti had government advertisements on all its pages, and also had chit fund ads. We do not take ads from corporates to run the paper like the Left. They don't have any moral right to speak. We will continue to sustain without any ad," she said.
CPI(M) calls Mamata “frustrated”
The CPI(M) said that Ms. Banerjee was "frustrated" as she could not find any misdeeds during the 34-year rule of the Left Front.
"In comparison, everyone knows how one after another leaders of her party are getting arrested on corruption charges, with crores of rupees being found with them," CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said.
"She is desperate and making all sorts of allegations," he claimed.
BJP vice-president Dilip Ghosh said that Ms. Banerjee was "scared and nervous" as the "misdeeds" of her party were getting exposed.
