Kolkata:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday attacked West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of ”betraying and insulting” the people of the state who trusted she will bring about a positive change after the Left rule.
Addressing his first rally in West Bengal after the announcement of state assembly polls, Modi held out the promise of inclusive development and job creation.
He also accused Banerjee of nepotism by choosing to play the insular role of ”bua” (aunt) to her ”bhatija” (nephew) instead of becoming ”Didi” (elder sister) to the people.
Addressing a massive BJP rally at the Brigade Parade Ground, Modi hit out at his detractors who accuse him of favouring a handful of his businessmen friends.
”You have betrayed and insulted the people of Bengal who trusted that you will be the harbinger of change after the end of the Left rule. You smashed to smithereens (chaknachoor) their hopes and dreams,” he said, excoriating the TMC supremo.
”Bengal chose you in role of ‘Didi’ but you preferred being ‘bua’ to your ‘bhatija. Aren’t you the ‘Didi’ of so many young men and women who look up to you? Why are you fulfilling the greed of your nephew?” he said without naming Mamata’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee.
The BJP has been accusing Banerjee of trying to install her nephew and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek as the next chief minister.
Hitting back at rival leaders like former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Banerjee, who often accuse him of favouring his industrialist friends, Modi said given his humble background he valued friendship.
”All 130 crore people of India are my friends, I work for them. I gave 90 lakh gas connections to my friends of Bengal. I have special affinity with tea, and the tea garden workers of Bengal are my friends for whom I have implemented a social security scheme, I am friend (dost) of the poor,” he asserted.
Modi has often spoken about how he used to sell tea at a railway station and on trains as a small boy.
He also attacked Banerjee for triggering the insider- outsider debate.
”When those believing in Marx and Lenin (a reference to the Left) and a party like the TMC, an offshoot of the Congress, are parties of insiders, how the BJP, for whose foundation Syama Prasad Mookerjee was the source of inspiration, can be a party of outsiders,” he said.
The prime minister said he was committed to bringing about ”asol parivartan” (real change) in West Bengal where all sections of people progress but nobody is appeased, and infiltration is stopped.
”Be it North Bengal or South Bengal, ordinary people or refugees….all will progress but nobody will be appeased.
Infiltration will be stopped completely,” he asserted, reaffirming his commitment to the Mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vishwas’.
Citizenship to the Dalit Matua community is a major election plank for the BJP in the upcoming elections. Matuas migrated to West Bengal from East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, after Partition, and also following India’s 1971 war with Pakistan. Many got Indian citizenship and many not which the BJP has promised them following the enactment of the new citizenship law.
Modi said ”Asol Parivartan” (true change) will happen when young men and women get jobs and better education, where investment will come and people won’t migrate to other states for work.
”With the blessings of Bharat Mata, we will turn the state into Sonar Bangla (golden or prosperous Bengal),” he said.
He also attacked Banerjee for triggering the insider- outsider debate.
Modi said Banerjee wanted to portray herself as Bengal’s daughter when she was the ”daughter of India”.
Taking a dig at TMC over its ”Khela Hobe” slogan, he asserted ”Khela (game) is khatam (over) for the TMC, vikaas shuru (development begins now).” ”The people of Bengal had once put faith in Didi to bring paribartan (change). But Didi and her cadre have destroyed the faith of people and insulted Bengal. True change means peace and development, better education, more jobs and fulfilling everyone’s dreams. We will rebuild Bengal,” said Modi.
Modi said the TMC and the Left-Congress alliance are on one side and the people of Bengal on the other. ”The vote bank politics that Congress started after Independence, the Left and the TMC took forward.” Attacking the Left for forming an alliance with the Congress, Modi said, ”They (the Left) used to once raise a slogan–Congress-er kalo haath bhenge dao, guriye dao (Break the black hand of Congress). But that black hand has become white now and the Left has tied up with the grand old party.” Accusing Banerjee of ”destroying democracy” in the state, Modi said corruption flourished during the TMC rule.
”Under Mamata Banerjee, only corruption and syndicate raj has flourished. Loktantra (democracy) has vanished and loot tantra (the culture of plunder) has prospered. People of Bengal are not getting the money disbursed under central schemes. TMC is standing in the way of the state’s development,” he alleged.
Modi took a jibe at Banerjee over riding a scooty precariously during a TMC protest in Kolkata against spiralling fuel prices and linked it to her decision to contest the assembly eletion from Nandigram against her former protege Suvendu Adhikari who has joined the BJP.
”We all prayed for your safety. Thankfully, you did not fall down or get hurt. But now when your scooty, instead of going to Bhawanipore, has turned towards Nandigram and it decides to flip, what can we do?” Modi said as he had a hearty laugh.
”Lotus is about to bloom in Bengal because of the ‘kichad’ (muck) created by you, Didi,” he said, attacking the TMC boss over alleged ”communally divisive” politics.
”We remember the TMC’s slogan of Maa, Mati, Manush’.
Not a single day has passed in the last 10 years when ‘Maa’ (mothers) and daughters of Bengal have not cried due to the TMC’s tyranny. Bengal’s ‘Maati’ (land) has been given to middlemen and extortionists and ‘Manush’ (people) is being forced to see the bloodletting of fellow Manush,” he said.
Modi referred to an alleged incident when the 80- year-old mother of a BJP worker was allegedly brutally beaten up by TMC workers.
Giving a spin to the TMC’s ‘Khela Hobe’ (the game is on) slogan, Modi alleged the state’s ruling party has ”experienced players” who have systemically looted its people.
”You have done so many scams that a game can be organised at Olympics on corruption. Now your game is up. Your days are numbered. Khela khatam, vikaas shuru (the game ends, development begins,” he quipped.
