As West Bengal inches towards the Assembly elections, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday questioned the ethics of the BJP for striking a “Rs 1,000-crore deal” with former TMC leader Humayun Kabir to oust the state government.She was referring to the recent video purportedly showing Kabir, who recently launched a new political front, speak about his plans to defeat Mamata Banerjee in cahoots with the BJP.Banerjee was addressing a public meeting at Lodna Football Ground, where she alleged that the deal was intended to destabilize her party.The chief minister also expressed deep outrage over reports of women being harassed under the guise of security checks, calling it a “height of obscenity”.Banerjee questioned the ethics of the Opposition.“A deal of Rs 1,000 crore has been made just to split a party. They claim the video is AI-generated, but the creator says it is real. How long can you hide the truth? That is a staggering amount of money,” Banerjee alleged.Linking the alleged corruption to the common man’s struggle, she criticised the Central Government’s failure to control fuel and gas prices, predicting a further “skyrocket” in costs once the elections conclude.The chief minister took a sharp turn to address social media allegations made by actress Sreemoyee Chattoraj, who claimed male police officers publicly searched her personal bag, including sanitary items, during a ‘naka’ check.Story continues below this adBanerjee alleged that such incidents are becoming frequent. “In the name of security, they are opening women’s bags to see what’s inside. Are you going to wear lipstick? Will you do a facial? Have you no shame?” she said. Banerjee also cited another incident involving an elderly woman in Bhowanipore and urged women to lodge formal complaints if they face such “obscene” treatment during car searches.The chief minister also launched a fierce defence of her government’s agricultural record. Addressing a massive gathering, she accused rivals of peddling a “firework of lies” concerning potato farming while sleeping through the crises faced by rural workers.Banerjee did not mince words, comparing the Opposition’s inaction during natural disasters to the legendary slumber of Kumbhakarna.“They claim potato farming in Bengal is rotting. I ask, when floods destroy the lands, where are you? You sleep and snore,” Banerjee said.Story continues below this adShe contrasted this with the proactive stance of the State Agriculture Department, which she noted conducts door-to-door surveys to ensure every affected farmer receives full compensation. Farmers are not required to pay a single paisa for insurance; the government covers the full cost, she said.The government continues to expand cold storage facilities and distribute modern agricultural tools to modernise the sector.‘Our chargesheet is against you (BJP)’Responding to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recently released “chargesheet” against the TMC government, Banerjee retorted with her own list of grievances. “They have the audacity to issue a chargesheet? Our chargesheet is against you for oppressing the nation, destroying the Constitution, and committing atrocities against our mothers and sisters,” she lashed out.She dismissed the BJP’s promises as “disrespectful,” noting that the West Bengal Government had already addressed the 7th Pay Commission in the February Budget and remains the only state providing consistent pensions.‘Why target the food of Bengal’Story continues below this adBanerjee defended Bengal’s culinary culture against what she termed “food interference” by the BJP.“In BJP-ruled states, they have banned fish. Here, people send their kids to school on boiled rice and fish fry. If you want to eat mushrooms, eat them, but why target the food of Bengal?”She said that her government allocated Rs 3,000 crore for the Damodar Basin Project to prevent floods in Burdwan. In all, 1.3 crore (13 million) mud houses were converted to pukka (permanent) houses. She also said that the state will now bear the Rs 2,000 monthly electricity cost for small-scale farmers and provide Rs 4,000 annually to farm labourers.She also reiterated the success of Lakshmir Bhandar and Swasthya Sathi government schemes.Story continues below this adThe chief minister urged the people to stay vigilant against “baskets of lies,” asserting that while the Election Commission currently holds the reins, her government remains committed to its promises once the Model Code of Conduct is lifted.