Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 21 (ANI): West Bengal BJP president and MP Samik Bhattacharya on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee over her remarks extending support to the CJP, saying her political situation had deteriorated to such an extent that she was now talking about standing with the party.

Reacting to Mamata Banerjee’s remarks, Bhattacharya said, “We never heard of a lioness going to a cockroach. Mamata Banerjee used to call herself a lioness. Her condition has become so bad that she has to go to a cockroach. The same Mamata Banerjee who was about to oust Narendra Modi’s government from the Centre three months ago, the same Mamata Banerjee has fallen into such a bad condition that she is talking about standing with the cockroach party. She has become a parasite. This is shameful for the entire Bengal.”

The BJP leader also reacted to the Congress leaders’ protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in Delhi, saying that demonstrations were part of democracy but challenged the party to defeat BJP governments in states.

Commenting on the Congress protest, Bhattacharya said, “This is a democracy. Anyone can protest. Anyone can go to elections and jump into a pond. Anyone can make any statement. Narendra Modi is a far cry. Let Congress go to any state and defeat one of our Chief Ministers.”

Bhattacharya’s remarks came amid a political slugfest between the BJP and opposition parties over protests against the Centre on issues related to students and alleged NEET paper leaks.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal, are among Congress leaders who are protesting at Lok Kalyan Marg demanding the resignation of PM Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan had also joined the protest. PM Modi’s residence is on Lok Kalyan Marg.

Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Jitendera Singh, arrived at the protest site and was seen briefly conversing with Rahul Gandhi. Delhi Police detained some Congress leaders who were part of the protest.

Congress has alleged that their leaders were not allowed to speak and raise the issue concerning students in Parliament.

Rajeev Shukla stated the party had no other option left except to protest.

“They are not conducting a debate in Parliament. So what else could we have done? We had to take to the streets,” he said.

Sandeep Dikshit alleged that the government tried to politicise the matter of the NEET-UG paper leak.

“Rahul Gandhi has always raised such issues. He raised a question on the entire education system. The day the paper leaked, he took to the streets. The government has been trying to politicise this matter. We have to stand with every youth of the country whose aspirations and expectations were brutally trampled by the government yesterday,” he alleged.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda also visited RML Hospital and met students injured during the CJP march yesterday. Several police personnel were also injured.

Nadda on Monday met a delegation of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which submitted its demands to the government. (ANI)