Akbar blasts Mamata

BJP national spokesperson MJ Akbar has attacked Mamata Banerjee for allegedly jeopardising India’s relations with Bangladesh, 'The Telegraph' reported.

Akbar was referring to her resistance to the Teesta water-sharing agreement and the conspiracy theory floated by her in connection with the Burdwan blast.

“The relationship between Dhaka and Delhi has worsened because of Mamata ... The relations are now improving after Prime Minister Modi met his Bangladesh counterpart twice, in New York and Kathmandu. Both meetings were very fruitful,” Akbar said on the sidelines of a book release organised by the Indo-Bangladesh Cultural Society and the Bangladesh Cinema Exhibitors’ Forum at the Academy of Fine Arts.

He blamed the chief minister for the delay in inking the Teesta pact.

“The Teesta water-sharing agreement was held up for so long only because of Mamata. That not only created a rift between the state and Bangladesh but also caused a straining of relations between Delhi and Dhaka,” Akbar said.

Filmmaker Goutam Ghosh, actor Prasenjit Chatterjee and thespian Rudra Prasad Sengupta were among those present at the event.

During a chat with journalists after the programme, Akbar advised Mamata to focus on curbing terrorism instead of making allegations against the BJP.

“Both Prime Ministers (Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina) are committed to work together and fight against terrorism. Modiji will not allow any terrorist activity targeted towards Bangladesh from Indian soil,” he said.

Referring to Mamata’s allegation that RAW could be involved in the Burdwan blast, Akbar said: “How can any chief minister say that RAW planted this?”

In the context of statements made by Kunal Ghosh and Asif Khan, the BJP national spokesperson said: “How can Mamata blame the BJP? Her own party colleagues are saying that she benefited from Saradha.”

“Mamata is saying that everything is the BJP’s conspiracy,” he added.

Akbar however was involved in a controversy during his last visit to Dhaka in September when he met several BNP leaders sparking rumours of an attempt to forge party-to-party relations between the BNP and BJP.