TV
She first stopped potato export to Odisha and then issued warning to the state over tigress Zeenat… It is alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is on a spree to settle some sort of political scores with Odisha. Her alleged growing intolerance and hate towards Odisha seem more personal than professional.
Even though potato vendors and cold storage owners in West Bengal were unhappy, CM Mamata ordered restrictions and instructed officials to stop the export of potatoes to Odisha. People of the land of Lord Jagannath did suffer because of the decision of Mamata Banerjee. Therefore, the newly formed BJP government led by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi even requested the West Bengal CM, but nothing materialized and people of Odisha had to pay more than double the price they were paying for potatoes.
People in Odisha even accused the West Bengal Chief Minister of being hell bent to make the state suffer for voting for the BJP in 2024 general polls. They further alleged that Mamata Banerjee’s decisions are part of her anti-Modi moves even at the cost of the people’s interest.
Also Read: After Zeenat episode, Mamata wants team from Odisha to rescue tiger that entered Bengal
Political Expert on the West Bengal CM’s Moves
“The world is growing angrier and so does Mamata didi. As a people’s representative, it’s a leader’s responsibility to work for the people. Forget about us (people of Odisha), her decision to halt potato export was not liked by people of her own state. TMC is already making the poll battles in West Bengal murkier. Her stand on Bangladeshi migrant, silence on atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh and the brutal killings of BJP leaders in West Bengal have made her one the worst leaders India ever had,” rued a Bhubaneswar local.
Speaking on the growing anger against the West Bengal CM in Odisha, senior journalist and political expert, Sandeep Sahu said, “It’s not as if Mamata Banerjee did not impose any restrictions on the transport of potatoes when Naveen Patnaik was in power. In fact, this problem crops up around this time every year for the last 6-7 years. But the difference this time is the vengeance with which she is going about it”.
Also Read: Tigress Zeenat released into soft enclosure in Similipal Tiger Reserve after return from West Bengal
Naveen was usually writing to Mamata whenever such issued cropped up during his tenure and it was getting resolved in no time, but not this time. “This time, she has gone to great lengths and used her police to ensure that not a single truck of potato comes to Odisha. Maybe, it’s possible that the Mohan Majhi government’s efforts to source potato from UP could have enraged her.”
Speaking on resistance to send tigress Zeenat to Odisha, Sahu said, “The initial resistance to sent back Zeenat to Odisha further corroborated the impression that she is miffed with the people of Odisha for having voted for the BJP, and everyone knows that she is at loggerheads with the BJP at least for the last 10 years, especially since Narendra Modi become the Prime Minister. And that could be a possible reason for her obstinate behavior.”
