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Published 10:50 IST, December 30th 2020

CM Mamata shares stage with Baul singer Basudeb after Amit Shah's lunch at his home; WATCH

Days after ex-BJP chief and Home Minister Amit Shah visited Baul singer Basudeb Das' home, CM Mamata Banerjee has also shared the stage with him

Reported by: Navashree Nandini
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As the poll season nears in West Bengal, BJP and TMC have intensified their attack on each other and are on a campaign spree to woo the Bengal voters. With this aim, days after ex-BJP chief and Home Minister Amit Shah visited a Baul singer's home for lunch, CM Mamata Banerjee has also shared the stage with the Baul Singer. Basudeb Das Baul, on Tuesday evening performed Mamata Banerjee's Birbhaum rally. Visuals show Mamata enjoying the Baul gaan, as the singer performs it on the stage.

After the event, when Baul singer Basudeb Das was asked about his allegiance, he said, "I was here to perform. Today Didi called me so I am here, if someone from BJP invites me I will perform at their rally too. 'Baul' community belongs to everyone. Both Didi and Amit Shah ji gave me respect."

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Amit Shah's lunch

During his two-day visit to West Bengal last week, Amit Shah had lunch at the residence of 'Baul' singer Basudeb Das Baul at Ratanpally area of Santiniketan in Birbhum district. He was accompanied by senior BJP leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya, Mukul Roy, Dilip Ghosh, Rahul Sinha, Anupam Hazra. Visuals of Shah's visit showed him listening to 'Baul gaan' with rapt attention, as the singer played one of the most popular songs - 'Tomay Hrid Majhare Rakhbo, chere dibo na' (will keep in my heart and will not let you go) with 'ektara'. At his residence, Shah savoured Bengali delicacies palong saak, alu posto, begun bhaja, nolen gurer payes and nalen gurer rosogolla. Earlier in November, when Amit Shah was on a two-day visit to West Bengal, he had dined at a farmer's home in Balijuri village, Paschim Midnapore district. 

READ | Amit Shah Has Lunch At Bengal Folk Singer's House In Santiniketan

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Trinamool Mocks Amit Shah's Lunch

Mocking Shah for his visit to a farmer's house and his lunch there, Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress shared a 2014 tweet by PM Narendra Modi. In the 2014 tweet, Modi - the then Prime Ministerial candidate of BJP - said that Congress leaders undertake "poverty tourism". He went on to say that they go to the houses of poor, sit and eat with them just to pictures. Trinamool reshared Modi's tweet with a picture of Amit Shah, BJP leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya, Dilip Ghosh eating at a farmers' home.

READ | Trinamool Mocks Amit Shah's Lunch At Bengal Farmer's Home Using PM Modi's 2014 Tweet

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10:50 IST, December 30th 2020