'May boomerang later...': Mamata Banerjee on Chandrababu Naidu's arrest

"I don't like the arrest of Chandrababu Naidu, if there is some mistake, you should talk and conduct an investigation. Nothing should be done to anyone vindictively. This may boomerang in the coming days," the West Bengal Chief Minister said while addressing a press conference in Kolkata.

On the summon by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday, Mamata Banerjee said, "This is a political vendetta. Politically there may be differences between us. In a democracy, some parties adjust with one another, and some don't. No one should do anything which exceeds the limits of democracy. Someone is in power today, someone else may be in power tomorrow..."

Abhishek Banerjee has been summoned by the ED on the same day the opposition INDIA bloc is scheduled to hold its first coordination committee meeting on Wednesday. Abhishek is a member of the committee.

Speaking on the "harassment" faced by Abhishek Banerjee, the West Bengal Chief Minister said, "We did not touch anyone from the CPM (Communist Party of India (Marxist)). This is our courtesy. Abhishek is disturbed in every way. At times he goes to the lower court, at times to the upper court, to the High Court, Supreme Court...They are unnecessarily harassing him. There is no evidence, nothing."

Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mamata Banerjee said, "They cannot tolerate the young generation. They want to disturb the young generation...But the youth won't tolerate this."

On the Delhi Police not giving permission to the TMC to hold a protest at Rajghat against the Central government not disbursing funds to West Bengal, the Chief Minister said, "How will the Delhi Police give permission?... They are not our enemy. They have to follow the political instruction."

Speaking about the course of action if permission is not granted, Mamata said, "Everyone can go to pay respect to Gandhiji. If they don't give us permission our MPs and MLAs will go to pray at the Raj Ghat."

"They did not give us money for 100 days work, for road construction, for Gramin Awas Yojana...We want to improve the State-Central relationship...it is not a good thing to play politics with poor people," she added.

Speaking on the 'One nation, one election' committee that has been formed to push for simultaneous polls in the country, the West Bengal Chief Minister said, "Let us see the Bill first. I cannot comment without seeing the details. We need to see the motive first."

On the 'India versus Bharat' controversy, Mamata Banerjee said that she sees no problem with 'Bharat' but the Centre should not be omitting the name 'India' without any Constitutional amendment.

"We also call India Bharat in Hindi and Bengali. This is nothing new. But they have omitted India, this is not appropriate. Changing this without any constitutional amendment is unconstitutional. We do not have any problem with calling Bharat. However, removing India is wrong. Out passports say 'Republic of India', Ambedkar's Constitution says 'We the people of India'," the West Bengal Chief Minister said.

"I think it is a reaction to the naming of the INDIA alliance," Mamata Banerjee said slamming the BJP.

The West Bengal Chief Minister would be travelling to Spain for some days to better the relations between the state and the European nation. Earlier in the day, Mamata Banerjee announced a new Subdivision for Dhupguri municipality. She also announced a cabinet reshuffle by making some key changes to the portfolios of several ministers. (ANI)