Calcutta: "I never say it but I also come from a Hindu Brahmin family. Remember that," chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday, underlining that she didn't "flaunt" it because "I don't need a certificate from BJP to prove whether I am a Hindu or a Muslim. I am a human being and that is all that matters," Banerjee said at an election rally near Taki under Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency.

 

Questioned by BJP over her attack on Bharat Sevashram Sangha monk Swami Pradiptananda, also known as Kartik Maharaj, Banerjee said: "They say I don't believe in Hinduism. Thankfully, I am a Hindu. Otherwise, they would have said I came from abroad and conduct an NRC on me."

 

The CM also hit out at BJP's Puri Lok Sabha candidate Sambit Patra over his comment that "Lord Jagannath is Modi's bhakt". He later described it as a "slip of the tongue". "They say Jagannath Dev is his (Modi's) bhakt. Imagine! He is claiming to be bigger than God. There is no limit to what they say," she said, adding: "If you are greater than God, stay in the temple, we will worship you. (They are) doing and saying whatever he wants. No restraint in speech. All slander and lies."

 

Banerjee attacked Modi for spreading false propaganda advertisements and telling lies over CAA and misleading people that if a Muslim candidate won, he would cancel the reservation rights of SCs and STs. "I assure you that no Muslim can snatch your reservation rights. I don't have this right. The Constitution gr-ants you reservation. Whatever BJP is saying are all lies," the CM said at the day's second election rally at Ashoknagar under Barasat Lok Sabha constituency while campaigning for three-time MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

 

Banerjee reiterated from the Ashoknagar rally that she never discriminated between religions and religious groups. The CM said she would file defamation cases against a section of the media for propagating false claims. "During elections, they make grand promises and make a section of the media write lies. To my knowledge, there hasn't been any trouble anywhere, nor has there been any attack on any ashram. I haven't received such news. If you can find evidence, we will take action. This is a false claim," she said.

 

Banerjee added: "They have been advertising lies for a few days. This is illegal. The high court has also acknowledged it. Why hasn't the Election Commission taken action? This section of media has personally attacked me and my party. I will go for defamation."