By Navneet Mishra

Kolkata, May 14 (IANS): West Bengal's Minister of State for Labour Ghulam Rabbani has slammed Union Minister Of State for Women and Child Development Debasree Chaudhuri for accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of being involved in a conspiracy to make convert Bengal into Islamic state and merge with Bangladesh.

Expressing displeasure, Rabbani said criticism of the Opposition should be based on issues and not on imaginations.

"Till yesterday, her colleague (Home Minister) wanted Mamata Banerjee to open the borders to help the Bangladeshi people.Who wants to help the 'so-called jihadis', sitting in Delhi?" Rabbani said in a tweet.

Chaudhuri has made several shocking claims in an interview to IANS on Wednesday.

She had said "if Bengal is not saved now, Banerjee would try to merge the state with Bangladesh and make it West Bangladesh".

Chaudhuri, an MP from Raiganj Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal, said: "Anti-national elements are getting government protection. In Bangladesh, Hindu minorities are oppressed... similarly in West Bengal, there is a conspiracy to suppress the majority and make them a minority."

"Rohingyas, Bangladeshis and jihadis are given too much importance. They are ruling the roost in the state. This is all a part of conspiracy. Anti-national elements from Kashmir to Myanmar are given shelter in the state," she said.

Following the Union minister's claims, Rabbani took to Twitter to slam her.

"What else can I say, take medicines on time and be safe. Lockdown is affecting you," Rabbani wrote, taking a jibe at Chaudhuri.