Parties react to Mamata's 'not all are bad in Sangh Parivar' praise

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who strongly opposes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stirred up a hornets' nest after praised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) saying that "all are not bad in the Sangh Pariwar" and a section of right-wing organisation does not support the policies followed by the BJP.

"RSS was not so bad earlier, I don't think they are bad now either. There are many people in the RSS who are good and don't support the BJP. They will also break their silence one day," said West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.

Reacting to this, senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakrabarty hit back at the Chief Minister calling her an "opportunist" and "product" of the RSS.

"It is once again clear that TMC is not trustworthy in the fight against BJP," said Sujan Chakrabarty. The sharpest reaction came from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi. "In 2003 too Mamata had called RSS "patriots". In turn RSS had called her "Durga".

RSS wants Hindu Rashtra. Its history is full of anti-Muslim hate crime. She'd defended BJP govt in Parliament after Gujarat pogrom. Hope TMC's "Muslim faces" praise her for her honesty & consistency."

Owaisi, which contested the assembly polls in Bengal, failed to win a single seat, including Muslim majority constituencies, where it positioned itself as opposed to both TMC and BJP.

He had targeted the RSS, saying it wants "Hindu Rashtra." According to Owaisi, Mamata defended the BJP government in the Parliament after Gujarat riots.

Meanwhile, BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh said neither the RSS nor the BJP needs a certificate from CM Banerjee.