Kolkata: Embarking on a two-day West Bengal visit after a gap of almost three years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday pitched for the BJP's victory in all 42 Lok Sabha seats of the state in the upcoming general election. He asserted that the poll results would set the countdown for the end of the Trinamul Congress' (TMC) rule in the state.
Modi, who inaugurated Central welfare projects worth Rs 7,200 crore at Arambagh in Hooghly, also invoked Sandeshkhali violence and multiple government job scams in his blistering attack on the TMC. He also slammed the I.N.D.I.A. bloc partners of the TMC for their silence on the Mamata Banerjee-led government's failures in the state for the sake of votes.
Accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the West Bengal government of encouraging corruption in the state, Modi pledged to fulfil his “guarantee” to despatch the “lootera.”
He told a party rally: “Bharat will prosper when Bengal prospers. For this, lotus needs to bloom in all seats of the state in the coming elections. Won't it happen?!”
Reaching out to the minority electorate, Modi said, “The TMC believes that it has a secured vote bank. But this time, their vanity will be shattered. Muslim sisters and daughters will also come forward to uproot goondaraj of the TMC. The Lok Sabha poll results will start the countdown of the TMC government's defeat and departure from Bengal.”
Raking up the Sandeshkhali issue, Modi alleged, “The entire country is witnessing the situation in Bengal and is pained and fuming over what TMC, the drumbeaters of Maa-Mati-Manush, did with the sisters of Sandeshkhali. Raja Rammohan Roy's soul, wherever it is now, must have been sad and crying over these people's acts there. What the TMC leader did with the women of Sandeshkhali has crossed all limits of audacity.”
Modi claimed: “When the women raised their voice and sought help from the Chief Minister, Didi and her government, in return, threw their entire weight behind the TMC leader to protect him. Facing pressure from the BJP, the Bengal police bowed down before you and had to arrest the accused yesterday.”
He added: “The accused TMC leader remained at large for nearly two months under TMC rule. There must be someone who was protecting him! Will you forgive such a TMC? Won't you take revenge for what happened with the mothers and sisters of Sandeshkhali? People are asking Didi if some people's votes have become more important to her than the women's victims. Shame on you...a strong reply must be given while voting in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections...”
Slamming the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, the Prime Minister observed, “I get surprised to see the rest of the leaders of the INDIA bloc who are keeping their eyes, ears and mouths closed on Sandeshkhali... The Congress president even called the Sandeshkhali incident ‘a routine affair’ in Bengal. Isn't this an insult to the rich cultural heritage of Bengal? This is the reality of the Congress and INDIA bloc leaders. They back corruption and dynasties. That is their biggest job.”
