Will go to jail but won't surrender before BJP: Mamata Banerjee

Speaking at the anniversary celebration of Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, which is the Trinamool's students' wing, Mamata accused the BJP of running an "emergency" in the country and said, "I won't budge down. I can go to jail but won't surrender before the BJP. If I go to jail, I will consider it as a freedom fight."

"If we can win the 2021 Assembly elections, we can even think of changing Delhi (defeating the incumbent)," the Trinamool chief added reminding her previous call to oust the Narendra Modi government in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Mamata on Wednesday once again spoke about Jammu and Kashmir and attacked the BJP government of gunning down voices in the valley, remaining mum on whether she accepts the abrogation of Article 370 or not.

"There is no right to speak. No one has been allowed to speak or report about Jammu and Kashmir. All voices have been gunned down," she said.

But a restraint Mamata, who has roped in political strategist Prashant Kishor for the 2021 Assembly polls, soon said, "The government can definitely take a decision but they should have discussed the matter with all parties."

More than three weeks after the Centre withdrew Jammu and Kashmir's special status, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said a five-judge constitutional bench will reexamine the abrogation of Article 370 and also stated no citizen can be barred from entering the valley.

In her first response to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s step to give Rs. 1,76,051 crore to the Centre, Mamata said the reserve money of the central bank has also been exhausted due to the ruling BJP government.

"There is no reserve money in RBI now. All money has been used by the Centre now," she said.

The RBI on Monday announced it has accepted the recommendations of Bimal Jalan Committee following which it approved surplus transfer to the Centre.

(Image Credit: IBNS File)