Kolkata: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress over the alleged culture of political violence that has been continuing across the state ever since the Mamata Banerjee-led government stormed to power.
“Over 100 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers have been killed in political violence in the state since 2014. Their sacrifice will not go in vein. We not only want to expand our political influence in Bengal, but we also want to rid Bengal of the violent political environment under the Trinamool regime,” Shah told during a virtual ‘Jan Samvad Rally’.
He said that there was open play of bomb blasts, kidnappings, narcotics and corruption and thus a political change was necessary in West Bengal.
“MLAs are being held captive, MPs are stopped. The BJP helped Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan – which were BIMARU states – to develop. You have seen the governments of the Left and the TMC; now give a chance to the BJP,” he said
Calling to restore its lost cultural glory, he said Bengal was the only state where political violence took place even during the Covid-19 lockdown. Shah urged the people of West Bengal to vote for the BJP in the coming Assembly elections scheduled next year.
“It is only BJP that can change the political culture of Bengal. I appeal to the people of the state to give Modi Ji a chance for corruption and violence-free Bengal. People of Bengal who voted against the Communist rule in 2011 expecting development are now saying that even the Communists were better than the Trinamool Congress,” Shah said, sounding the poll bugle for Assembly elections in the state which are still months away.
Shah said that even Bihar is on the path of development ever since the National Democratic Front (NDA) government took charge there. “You gave the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) 34 years and 10 years to ‘Didi’. Now give a chance to Modi Ji and you will see the change in Bengal,” he added.
Taking a dig at the Mamata Banerjee-led state government over the migrant labourers’ issue, the Union Home Minister said the state government was completely apathetic towards the migrant workers who were in dire crisis during the Covid-19 lockdown.
“Didi has insulted these migrant workers by calling Shramik Special trains ‘Corona Express’. Now these migrant workers will ensure the exit of Trinamool Congress from the seat of power in Bengal,” he said.
The BJP leader also demanded that the TMC supremo give an account of what she did in the last 10 years in power in Bengal.
“Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government is only doing politics. It has only been complaining against the Centre. If the Modi government is giving what all it did in the last 6 years, her government should also do the same,” Shah added.
Shah claimed that if the BJP was voted to power in Bengal, it will ensure the end of corruption, terrorism, nepotism and appeasement. The state would be rid of scams like Narada and Sharada, he added.
Shah said that Banerjee had opposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act due to her policy of appeasement and used unparliamentary words for her political rivals. “What wrong have the Hindu refugees from Bangladesh done for you to oppose grant of Indian citizenship to them?” he asked.
The Union Home Minister said that one crore people across the country had benefited from the Aayushman Bharat health insurance scheme of the central government, but the people of West Bengal had been deprived of its benefits.
Shah also attacked the Bengal government over its alleged failure to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.