Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday said Mamata Banerjee, who had promised to usher in change in Bengal, herself changed after coming to power in May 2011 and reneged on all her promises. “A day after she became chief minister, Mamata Banerjee changed. She forgot all the promises she had made to the people of Bengal as well as to the Congress,” he claimed, adding that a wiser Congress, therefore, did not extend support to the Trinamul Congress this time. “We have now formed people’s alliance to defeat her,” he said while addressing an election rally in Raghunathganj in Murshidabad.
Mr Gandhi said no new industry was set up in the state during Ms Banerjee’s five-year rule as a result of which the unemployed youth were forced to migrate to other states in search of a livelihood. “She has failed to deliver in the last five years on all fronts. There has been no employment generation. The poor farmers also failed to get any relief,” he said.
The Congress vice-president attacked both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bengal chief minister for failing to take any measures to alleviate the suffering of the poor farmers. Equating Mr Modi with Ms Banerjee, Mr Gandhi said both have reneged on the promises they had made to the people. “The Prime Minister had promised two crore jobs and Mamata Banerjee 70 lakh jobs and both have failed to keep their promises. Both of them practise the politics of deceit,” he added.
Taking potshots at Mr Modi, Mr Gandhi said that he had promised to bring back the black money which were stashed away in foreign banks. “Instead he has allowed an industrialist (an apparent reference to Vijay Mallya) to flee the country,” he added.
Mr Gandhi also used corruption as a stick to beat the Trinamul Congress with. “Mamataji insists she is against corruption and black money. Will she tell us whether the money her MPs and MLAs were caught on camera taking was black of white ” he asked.
He also slammed Ms Banerjee’s recent promise that she would take action against those who would be found guilty of sleaze. “Mamataji is now saying she will take action. What was she doing for the past five years ” he asked.
Addressing another rally at Kandi in Murshidabad, Mr Gandhi promised that after the Left-Congress coalition would come to power, it would punish all those who were involved in the Saradha and Narada scams as well as in running syndicates. “Our coalition government would work for the welfare of the people,” he promised.
