PM: Mamata has now become shahenshah

Addressing his first election rally in West Bengal in Kharagpur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “Five years ago, I used to hear the word parivartan (change) a lot. I also thought there will be change in West Bengal. However, there was a change, but it was in Didi’s nature, in her motives and in her manner of work. There was no change in Bengal. The Opposition leader who used to fight on the streets, that Mamata didi has changed so much that she does not care for anybody. She has become a shahenshah (emperor).”

Targeting the Bengal government by referring to the Saradha chit fund scam and the Narada sting operation, that exposed over a dozen TMC leaders accepting bribes on camera, the PM asked whether the people of West Bengal had brought the TMC in the power to see them indulging in corruption. “First, there was Saradha, now there is Narada. From Saradha to Narada, the entire leadership are neck deep in corruption. They are now taking bundles of cash before cameras. Whose money is this This is your money, this is the money of the people which has been looted and is now been distributed. Did you want to bring such a change ” Mr Modi wondered.

Shifting his focus to the electoral adjustment between the Left and the Congress, Mr Modi claimed both parties have “challenged the wisdom of Bengal”.

“The Congress and Communists have challenged the wisdom of Bengal and Bengalis will not spare anyone who does it. They are wrestling for power in Kerala, but have joined hands in Bengal. They are playing a game behind the curtains in Bengal. Why not they are revealing their true motives in public Are they not challenging the wisdom of Bengal and insulting that This is an insult of Bengalis. If they had courage, they should have admitted they are opportunists and are only hungry for power,” Mr Modi said.

Alleging that the Left and TMC had “destroyed” the state in the last 40 years, Mr Modi made an appeal to the 40,000-strong gathering to support the BJP once. “There was a time when Bengal used to be the hub of industries. But in the last 40 years the Left had broken the back of industries and the TMC has buried it. No other state has such a record. Industries have closed down but only one industry is flourishing. The bomb-making industries are running in Bengal. From transport to health to power, the state has not progressed. Do the maths and you will see that there was no change in Bengal,” he lamented.

Asking the people to vote for the BJP to help the state come out of this condition, he said: “I have a three-point agenda — development, development at a fast pace and development from all sides. Have you heard of any corruption since we come to power at the Centre Give me a chance and I will build a new Bengal,” he said.

The Prime Minister paused for a brief moment during his speech when he heard the azaan from a nearby mosque. He paused as soon as he heard the sound of azaan and patiently waited for its completion. “Excuse me, azaan was on. There should not be any problem to anyone while worshipping because of me. So I paused a few minutes,” Mr Modi said.