Take a dip in polluted Yamuna: Mamata's dare to PM after Hooghly boat ride

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a dip in the Yamuna, calling it polluted, and accused him of visiting the state only to garner votes ahead of the second phase of polling on April 29.

Addressing a rally in Howrah, Banerjee contrasted the Ganges in West Bengal, which she claimed was clean, with the Yamuna in Delhi.

“Why don’t you take a dip in the Yamuna in Delhi? It’s totally polluted! You can’t clean the Yamuna, but you come here to take photos on our Ganga,” she said, referring to PM Modi’s boat ride on the Hooghly — a tributary of the Ganges.

Banerjee welcomed the Prime Minister’s visit but credited the state government and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation for cleaning the river and beautifying its riverfront, while alleging that his boat ride was aimed at garnering votes in the state.

She also said PM Modi would not be able to undertake a similar boat ride on the Yamuna, blaming the BJP-led administration in Delhi for the river’s condition.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi took a boat ride on the Hooghly river and said he remained committed to the development of West Bengal and the prosperity of the “great Bengali people."

He also shared photographs of the ride on social media, showing him seated on a wooden boat with the Howrah Bridge and Vidyasagar Setu in the background.

In the state, while 152 seats went to polls on April 23, the remaining 142 constituencies will vote on April 29. Counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.

- Ends

Tune In